Israel-Gaza latest: Netanyahu reportedly accepts US Gaza ceasefire plan - but Hamas 'disappointed'
Criminals looting aid with 'active or passive IDF protection,' says Gazan analyst
Criminals looting aid intended for Gaza are doing so with "active or passive" Israeli military protection, according to a Gazan analyst.
Gangs of looters are operating in areas under the IDF's full control, says Muhammad Shehada, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Looting occurs in front of Israeli tanks and military vehicles, he tells Sky News presenter Gareth Barlow.
"The criminals and drug dealers that are looting the vast majority of aid are operating with either active or passive IDF protection," he adds.
Israel allows in a fifth of what Gaza needs for basic human survival on a daily basis, he goes on to say.
Shehada says the "engineered policy of starvation" incentivises theft because a single bag of wheat flour costs $500.
"Israel is using the 'Hamas looting' talking point as merely a pretext to externalise blame for its deliberate starvation policy in Gaza," he says.
As well as organised looting by criminals, there have been separate cases of desperate Gazans rushing to get aid and overwhelming distribution points.
Two Palestinians died during a break-in at a UN warehouse last night (see 6.29 post).
For context: Israel has repeatedly cited security reasons for halting and slowing the flow of aid into Gaza.
But international condemnation of its handling of the humanitarian crisis has been growing, with the UK, France and Canada strongly criticising Benjamin Netanyahu's government last week.
Netanyahu hit back, accusing the three nations of siding with Hamas.
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