Gaza is facing growing chaos. Hunger and fear are pushing people to break into aid depots. Since Wednesday, groups of men and boys have raided shops, bakeries, and aid warehouses in northern Gaza. Some carried weapons. Others were unarmed. The goal was simple: find food and medicine.
Hunger and Fear Drive the Looting
Residents say people are not stealing to get rich. They are trying to survive. Aid has almost stopped. There is not enough food. Medicine is missing. Water is dirty or gone. Humanitarian workers say people are doing what they must.
Many eyewitnesses saw groups breaking into supply sites. Some went to bakeries. Others hit warehouses run by aid groups. In Gaza City, looters worked in teams. They picked their targets and moved fast.
“This is not theft. It’s hunger,” said one local man. “We have nothing left. No bread. No pills. What else can we do?”
UN Sites Overrun
One major site hit was the Gaza City field office of UNRWA. This UN group helps Palestinian refugees. Thousands of people rushed the gates. They grabbed all the medical supplies inside. UNRWA had to leave the building.
Louise Wateridge, a UNRWA official, said the raid shows how bad things are. “This is the result of too much pain for too long,” she said. The agency has no way to stop the looting.
Other aid groups faced the same problem. Guards and police could not stop the crowds. There were just too many people.
Israeli Blockade Adds to Pain
The crisis got worse in March. That is when Israel blocked more aid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended the last ceasefire with Hamas. Israel said the new rules were needed. They want Hamas to release 59 hostages and shut down its fighters.
The blockade means fewer trucks reach Gaza. Food, gas, and medicine are stuck at the border. UN leaders say this could break international law. Using hunger as a weapon is a war crime.
“This punishes everyone,” said a UN official. “It puts kids, families, and hospitals in danger.”
Gaza on the Brink
The looting shows that Gaza may be near total collapse. Aid groups and local leaders are worried. If nothing changes soon, there could be no order left.
“In some parts of Gaza, laws no longer matter,” said a journalist. “People are forming gangs just to get food. It’s a fight to live.”
In Gaza City, people heard gunfire outside UN buildings. Looters and guards exchanged shots. The battle was over food.
Deadly Airstrikes in Khan Younis
While the north faces looting, the south faces bombs. Israeli airstrikes hit Khan Younis overnight. At least 17 people died.
Nasser Hospital said one bomb hit a home in a refugee camp. Eleven people from one family died. Three were women. Three were kids. One child was one year old. Another was just a month old.
Another strike hit Batn al-Samin, a quiet part of the city. More people died. A third airstrike killed two more in a different home.
Hospitals are full. Doctors have few tools and little medicine. The wounded keep coming. Many cannot be saved.
A Call for Help
UN teams and aid groups are asking for fast action. They want all sides to let aid into Gaza now. Safe roads and borders are key.
“If we wait, more people will die,” said a Red Cross worker. “We must act now.”
World leaders are watching. Pressure is rising. Many say peace talks and open borders are the only hope.