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NBCNov 23
Almost 100 Aid Trucks in Gaza Looted by Armed Men
Above: Palestinians wait for their falafel orders at a makeshift takeaway spot in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, on Nov. 19, 2024, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. Image copyright: Majdi Fathi/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Facts
The UN's primary agency for Palestinian refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that almost 100 trucks of aid were violently looted on Saturday shortly after crossing into Gaza from Israel, the worst such incident since the war began. UNRWA did not specify who carried out the looting.
Witnesses reported that masked men armed with guns and grenades attacked the convoy of 109 trucks, looting 97 of them. The UNRWA blamed the "total breakdown of civil order" in Gaza, adding that it had "become an impossible environment to operate in."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Israel's war against Hamas is surely just, given the atrocities the group committed during its Oct. 7 attack. However, Israel must take into account the innocent civilians in Gaza who are trapped between Israel's military machine and Hamas' terrorist fighters. Humanitarian aid entering the strip must be significantly increased, and the US will continue to push Israel in the right direction.
Pro-Israel narrative
The media continues to spread baseless lies of famine in Gaza. More than enough aid is entering the strip, and the real problem, as always, is Hamas. The terror group has worked to control aid movements through Gaza, harming the civilian population. If the US wants to help end the suffering of Palestinians in the strip, it must support Israel's goal of crushing Hamas.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel is purposefully facilitating the looting of aid convoys to exacerbate Gaza's hunger crisis. Considering that looting is the most prevalent in areas under Israeli military control and Israel's countless attacks on Gaza's local police force, it's quite obvious what Israel's intentions are. Indeed, Israel's genocidal war on Gaza continues unabated.