Thousands of Palestinians grab UN warehouse

AFP | Deir el-Balah

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Thousands of Palestinians stormed a UN warehouse in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah yesterday, AFP footage showed, as the UN’s World Food Programme said its warehouse there was broken into.

AFP footage showed crowds of Palestinians breaking into a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and taking bags and cartons of food supplies as gunshots rang out.

“Hordes of hungry people broke into WFP’s Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, Central Gaza, in search of food supplies that were pre-positioned for distribution,” WFP said in a statement on X.

“Initial reports indicate two people died and several were injured in the tragic incident,” it said, adding: “WFP is still confirming details.”

The issue of aid has come sharply into focus amid a hunger crisis after Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza for over two months, before allowing supplies in at a trickle last week.

“Humanitarian needs have spiralled out of control after 80 days of complete blockade of all food assistance and other aid into Gaza,” the WFP statement said.

Intense criticism has been levelled at the the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a USbacked group that has bypassed the longstanding UN-led system in the territory.

The UN yesterday condemned the US-backed aid system in Gaza after 47 people were injured during a chaotic food distribution the day before when thousands of Palestinians desperate for food rushed into a GHF aid distribution site.

A Palestinian medical source said at least one had died.

“WFP urgently calls for safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to enable orderly food distributions across Gaza immediately,” its statement said. Israel stepped up its military offensive in Gaza, ignited by an attack by Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023, earlier this month.