Latest news with #LouiseWateridge
Scoop
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Life-Saving Aid Allowed To Trickle Into Gaza As Needs Mount
20 May 2025 He stressed that the assistance must be delivered swiftly and directly to those most in need. He told journalists in New York that UN humanitarians were sending flour, medicines, nutrition supplies and other basic items through the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing – a day after they managed to bring in baby formula and other nutrition supplies. ' The first trucks of vital baby food are now inside Gaza after 11 weeks of total blockade, and it is urgent that we get that assistance distributed. We need much, much more to cross,' he said, speaking from New York. Complex aid operation In the face of mounting international objections over the total blockade imposed on 2 March – and condemnation over the risk of widespread famine – Israel started to allow a handful of aid trucks to enter Gaza on Monday, while simultaneously intensifying its military offensive. The aid blockade has pushed the entire population, more than two million people, to the brink of famine, amid ongoing bombardment and recurrent displacement orders. The UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA said Israel cleared nine aid trucks to cross the Kerem Shalom border on Monday, but only five were allowed in. Mr. Dujarric said Israel requires supplies to be offloaded on the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom. Items are then reloaded separately once the authorities secure humanitarian teams' access from inside Gaza. ' Only then are we able to bring any supplies closer to where people in need are sheltering,' he said. On Tuesday, one of the UN teams waited for several hours before being given the green light. 'So, just to make it clear, while more supplies have come into the Gaza Strip, we have not been able to secure the arrival of those supplies into our warehouses and delivery points,' he said. UN humanitarianshave received permissionfrom Israel for 'around 100' more aid trucks to cross into the Strip, but they said the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient. Ready and waiting 'Not enough. Five trucks, nowhere near. Not enough,' said Louise Wateridge, a spokesperson for the UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, in reference to Monday's trickle of aid. She was speaking to journalists in Geneva from a warehouse full of ready-to-be-delivered supplies in Amman, Jordan, with enough food to feed 200,000 Palestinian civilians for an entire month. ' Everything around me is aid that is supposed to be in the Gaza Strip right now,'she explained, as warehouses and distribution centres lay empty in Gaza. ' Look at what the UN could do,' she continued. 'We've done it: the ceasefire, the bombs stopped, the supplies went in. We reached every area of the Gaza Strip. We reached people who needed it most. We reached children. We reached the elderly. The supplies went everywhere. ' Scarcity fuels looting As aid is scarce, desperation is on the rise in Gaza, with 'several predictable effects,' according to OCHA Spokesperson Jens Laerke. ' One is that the insufficient supplies are at greater risk of being looted,' he told journalists in Geneva. He said looted products end up being sold at exorbitant prices on the black market, and opening access for large quantities of aid would automatically ease the situation. Deadly attacks and displacement Meanwhile, hundreds have been killed in attacks in recent days, according to the Gaza health authorities. They also report that the Indonesian Hospital was attacked on Monday, damaging electrical generators and forcing the facility to suspend services. Fifty-five people were there as of that day, including patients and medical staff, with critical shortages of water and food. Furthermore, an Israeli airstrike reportedly hit a school in An Nuseirat area on Monday, killing seven people and injuring others. Two UNRWA staff members were among those killed. Their deaths push the total number of agency personnel killed during the war to over 300. In other developments: Israel issued another displacement order on Tuesday, affecting 26 neighbourhoods in northern Gaza. Overall, some 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip is now either subject to displacement orders or located in Israeli-militarized zones. UN partners estimate that more than 41,000 people were displaced following the evacuation order on Tuesday. They further estimate that since 15 May, more than 57,000 people were displaced in southern Gaza and more than 81,000 were displaced in the north due to intensified hostilities and recurrent displacement orders. Israeli military operations in Gaza were triggered after the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023. Militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 hostages to Gaza. Fifty-eight hostages are still being held captive; 23 are believed to still be alive.
The Advertiser
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Dozens killed in Gaza as criticism of Israel mounts
Israeli air strikes have killed at least 50 Palestinians in Gaza, local medics say, as Israel continues its bombardment despite mounting international pressure to stop military operations and allow aid into Gaza unimpeded. The strikes fell across Gaza, and medics in the territory said that among the sites hit were two homes where women and children were among the 18 dead, and a school housing displaced families. Israel's military, which on Monday warned those in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis to evacuate to the coast as it prepared for an "unprecedented attack", had no immediate comment. Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days as the military campaign has intensified, medics in Gaza say. Israel's ground and air war has devastated coastal territory, displacing nearly all its 2.3 million residents and killing more than 53,000, according to Gaza health authorities. The campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza's border in October 2023, killing about 1200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The war has strained Israel's relations with much of the international community and those with its closest ally, the United States, now appear to be wavering. After Israel imposed a blockade of food and other supplies beginning March 2, Gaza had also been facing a critical risk of famine, a UN-backed hunger monitor said earlier in May. On Monday, Israel allowed nine trucks into Gaza, and on Tuesday the United Nations said it had received permission from Israel for about 100 aid trucks to enter. The UN has long said Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods every day. Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said on Tuesday there was little food left. "Everything's empty. The warehouses, the distribution centres, they've been empty for weeks," she said, speaking from a warehouse in Jordan that she said had food for 200,000 people, which could be driven to Gaza in just a few hours. The leaders of Britain, France and Canada warned on Monday they could take "concrete actions" against Israel if it did not stop military operations in Gaza and lift restrictions on aid. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio that aid must be "immediate, massive and without any hindrance", and there was a growing call from some countries, including France, to review a long-standing association agreement with Israel. Relations between Israel and France have soured, with Paris suggesting it could recognise a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu said his country was engaged in a "war of civilisation over barbarism" and vowed it would "continue to defend itself by just means until total victory". He has said Israel aims to control the whole of Gaza. Yair Golan, former deputy chief of staff of Israel's military and current leader of the opposition Democrats party, told local Kan Radio that Israel risked becoming a pariah state. "A sane country does not engage in combat against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not pursue goals of population expulsion," he said. His comments drew a sharp backlash from the prime minister, who accused Golan of "echoing the most contemptible anti-Semitic blood libels" against Israel and the military. Israel's leadership has insisted that it can free the hostages and dismantle Hamas through force. Hamas has said it would release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails. with reuters Israeli air strikes have killed at least 50 Palestinians in Gaza, local medics say, as Israel continues its bombardment despite mounting international pressure to stop military operations and allow aid into Gaza unimpeded. The strikes fell across Gaza, and medics in the territory said that among the sites hit were two homes where women and children were among the 18 dead, and a school housing displaced families. Israel's military, which on Monday warned those in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis to evacuate to the coast as it prepared for an "unprecedented attack", had no immediate comment. Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days as the military campaign has intensified, medics in Gaza say. Israel's ground and air war has devastated coastal territory, displacing nearly all its 2.3 million residents and killing more than 53,000, according to Gaza health authorities. The campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza's border in October 2023, killing about 1200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The war has strained Israel's relations with much of the international community and those with its closest ally, the United States, now appear to be wavering. After Israel imposed a blockade of food and other supplies beginning March 2, Gaza had also been facing a critical risk of famine, a UN-backed hunger monitor said earlier in May. On Monday, Israel allowed nine trucks into Gaza, and on Tuesday the United Nations said it had received permission from Israel for about 100 aid trucks to enter. The UN has long said Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods every day. Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said on Tuesday there was little food left. "Everything's empty. The warehouses, the distribution centres, they've been empty for weeks," she said, speaking from a warehouse in Jordan that she said had food for 200,000 people, which could be driven to Gaza in just a few hours. The leaders of Britain, France and Canada warned on Monday they could take "concrete actions" against Israel if it did not stop military operations in Gaza and lift restrictions on aid. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio that aid must be "immediate, massive and without any hindrance", and there was a growing call from some countries, including France, to review a long-standing association agreement with Israel. Relations between Israel and France have soured, with Paris suggesting it could recognise a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu said his country was engaged in a "war of civilisation over barbarism" and vowed it would "continue to defend itself by just means until total victory". He has said Israel aims to control the whole of Gaza. Yair Golan, former deputy chief of staff of Israel's military and current leader of the opposition Democrats party, told local Kan Radio that Israel risked becoming a pariah state. "A sane country does not engage in combat against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not pursue goals of population expulsion," he said. His comments drew a sharp backlash from the prime minister, who accused Golan of "echoing the most contemptible anti-Semitic blood libels" against Israel and the military. Israel's leadership has insisted that it can free the hostages and dismantle Hamas through force. Hamas has said it would release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails. with reuters Israeli air strikes have killed at least 50 Palestinians in Gaza, local medics say, as Israel continues its bombardment despite mounting international pressure to stop military operations and allow aid into Gaza unimpeded. The strikes fell across Gaza, and medics in the territory said that among the sites hit were two homes where women and children were among the 18 dead, and a school housing displaced families. Israel's military, which on Monday warned those in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis to evacuate to the coast as it prepared for an "unprecedented attack", had no immediate comment. Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days as the military campaign has intensified, medics in Gaza say. Israel's ground and air war has devastated coastal territory, displacing nearly all its 2.3 million residents and killing more than 53,000, according to Gaza health authorities. The campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza's border in October 2023, killing about 1200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The war has strained Israel's relations with much of the international community and those with its closest ally, the United States, now appear to be wavering. After Israel imposed a blockade of food and other supplies beginning March 2, Gaza had also been facing a critical risk of famine, a UN-backed hunger monitor said earlier in May. On Monday, Israel allowed nine trucks into Gaza, and on Tuesday the United Nations said it had received permission from Israel for about 100 aid trucks to enter. The UN has long said Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods every day. Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said on Tuesday there was little food left. "Everything's empty. The warehouses, the distribution centres, they've been empty for weeks," she said, speaking from a warehouse in Jordan that she said had food for 200,000 people, which could be driven to Gaza in just a few hours. The leaders of Britain, France and Canada warned on Monday they could take "concrete actions" against Israel if it did not stop military operations in Gaza and lift restrictions on aid. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio that aid must be "immediate, massive and without any hindrance", and there was a growing call from some countries, including France, to review a long-standing association agreement with Israel. Relations between Israel and France have soured, with Paris suggesting it could recognise a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu said his country was engaged in a "war of civilisation over barbarism" and vowed it would "continue to defend itself by just means until total victory". He has said Israel aims to control the whole of Gaza. Yair Golan, former deputy chief of staff of Israel's military and current leader of the opposition Democrats party, told local Kan Radio that Israel risked becoming a pariah state. "A sane country does not engage in combat against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not pursue goals of population expulsion," he said. His comments drew a sharp backlash from the prime minister, who accused Golan of "echoing the most contemptible anti-Semitic blood libels" against Israel and the military. Israel's leadership has insisted that it can free the hostages and dismantle Hamas through force. Hamas has said it would release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails. with reuters Israeli air strikes have killed at least 50 Palestinians in Gaza, local medics say, as Israel continues its bombardment despite mounting international pressure to stop military operations and allow aid into Gaza unimpeded. The strikes fell across Gaza, and medics in the territory said that among the sites hit were two homes where women and children were among the 18 dead, and a school housing displaced families. Israel's military, which on Monday warned those in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis to evacuate to the coast as it prepared for an "unprecedented attack", had no immediate comment. Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days as the military campaign has intensified, medics in Gaza say. Israel's ground and air war has devastated coastal territory, displacing nearly all its 2.3 million residents and killing more than 53,000, according to Gaza health authorities. The campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza's border in October 2023, killing about 1200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The war has strained Israel's relations with much of the international community and those with its closest ally, the United States, now appear to be wavering. After Israel imposed a blockade of food and other supplies beginning March 2, Gaza had also been facing a critical risk of famine, a UN-backed hunger monitor said earlier in May. On Monday, Israel allowed nine trucks into Gaza, and on Tuesday the United Nations said it had received permission from Israel for about 100 aid trucks to enter. The UN has long said Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods every day. Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said on Tuesday there was little food left. "Everything's empty. The warehouses, the distribution centres, they've been empty for weeks," she said, speaking from a warehouse in Jordan that she said had food for 200,000 people, which could be driven to Gaza in just a few hours. The leaders of Britain, France and Canada warned on Monday they could take "concrete actions" against Israel if it did not stop military operations in Gaza and lift restrictions on aid. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio that aid must be "immediate, massive and without any hindrance", and there was a growing call from some countries, including France, to review a long-standing association agreement with Israel. Relations between Israel and France have soured, with Paris suggesting it could recognise a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu said his country was engaged in a "war of civilisation over barbarism" and vowed it would "continue to defend itself by just means until total victory". He has said Israel aims to control the whole of Gaza. Yair Golan, former deputy chief of staff of Israel's military and current leader of the opposition Democrats party, told local Kan Radio that Israel risked becoming a pariah state. "A sane country does not engage in combat against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not pursue goals of population expulsion," he said. His comments drew a sharp backlash from the prime minister, who accused Golan of "echoing the most contemptible anti-Semitic blood libels" against Israel and the military. Israel's leadership has insisted that it can free the hostages and dismantle Hamas through force. Hamas has said it would release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails. with reuters
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Israeli strikes have killed 500 in 8 days, Gaza medics say
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 50 Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday, local medics told Reuters, as Israel continued its offensive despite growing international pressure to halt military operations and allow unhindered aid access into the territory. The strikes hit multiple locations across Gaza. Medics reported that two homes were struck, killing women and children among the 18 dead. A school housing displaced families was also bombed. The Israeli military had on Monday instructed residents in Khan Younis, a southern city in Gaza, to evacuate toward the coast in anticipation of what it described as an 'unprecedented attack.' Reuters footage from Gaza City showed residents sifting through rubble at a school in the Daraj neighborhood where they had been sheltering. Scattered belongings, including charred clothing and a red teddy bear, were visible among the debris. Gazan medics say Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days as the military campaign has escalated and 300 since Sunday. Gaza's health authorities report that the ground and air offensive has devastated the coastal enclave, displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million residents and killing more than 53,000 people. The military campaign began after Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israeli communities near Gaza's border in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. The war has strained Israel's relationships with its international allies, including the United States, where support appears to be wavering. Since Israel imposed a blockade on aid and supplies on March 2, Gaza has also faced an extreme risk of famine, according to a hunger monitoring group backed by the United Nations. On Monday, Israel permitted nine aid trucks to enter Gaza. The following day, the United Nations said Israel had authorised around 100 aid trucks to pass through. The UN has maintained that Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods every day. Throughout the conflict, hundreds of trucks have waited weeks, even months, at Gaza's border for clearance. 'There is little food left,' said Louise Wateridge, a spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), on Tuesday. She described a contrast between empty warehouses in Gaza and well-stocked facilities just across the border. Speaking from Amman, Jordan, Wateridge said, 'There's enough medical care in the warehouse I'm in right now to keep all nine health centres and 38 medical points in Gaza functioning.' She added, 'There's enough food piled up to feed 200,000 people for a month, hygiene kits for 200,000 families, and learning supplies for 375,000 children.' 'The situation is absurd,' she said. 'It's appalling, and to be quite frank, it's unforgivable. All of these supplies that are around me are literally three hours away from the Gaza Strip. They could be there this afternoon.' Leaders from Britain, France, and Canada warned on Monday that they may take 'concrete actions' against Israel if military operations do not cease and aid access is not improved. Speaking in the UK Parliament, Labour leader Keir Starmer told MPs that the suffering in Gaza is 'utterly intolerable' and that he was 'horrified by the escalation from Israel.' He added, 'The recent announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is totally and utterly inadequate. So we must coordinate our response, because this war has gone on for far too long. We cannot allow the people of Gaza to starve.' Starmer said Foreign Secretary David Lammy would soon announce further UK actions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio on Tuesday that France and other countries were considering reviewing their long-standing association agreement with Israel. 'Aid must be immediate, massive and without any hindrance,' he said. France's relationship with Israel has deteriorated, with Paris now suggesting it could recognise a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a staunch opponent of Palestinian statehood, condemned such moves. In response to the joint warning from the UK, France, and Canada, Israel accused the nations of being on the 'wrong side of history.' When Hamas praised the joint statement as 'a step in the right direction,' Israel's official X account quickly responded: 'When you're praised by Hamas — a jihadist terrorist organisation that murders children and rapes women — you're on the wrong side of history. What a disgrace.' Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, said the bloc's foreign ministers would consider whether to suspend the EU's association agreement with Israel. 'The Dutch foreign minister has put forward a proposal to do the review of Article 2 of our association agreement with Israel and we will discuss this,' she said in Brussels. Netanyahu defended his government's actions, describing the conflict as a 'war of civilisation over barbarism' and vowing to 'continue to defend itself by just means until total victory.' He reiterated that Israel aimed to take control of all of Gaza. But criticism from within Israel has also grown. Yair Golan, former deputy chief of staff of Israel's military and now leader of the centre-left Democrats party, told local Kan Radio, 'A sane country does not engage in combat against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not pursue goals of population expulsion.' Prime Minister Netanyahu slammed Golan's comments, accusing him of 'echoing the most contemptible antisemitic blood libels' against the state and the military. The military also released a statement asserting that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir 'condemns any statement casting doubt on the values of the military and the morality of its soldiers.' Israel's leadership insists that only force will free the hostages and dismantle Hamas. Hamas has said it would release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Israel has continued airstrikes in Lebanon. Earlier today, the Lebanese health ministry reported that an Israeli drone strike injured nine people in the southern Tyre district. Three victims, including two children, are in critical condition. Despite a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah that allows only UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon, Israel has retained its forces in five areas it deems strategic. Lebanon has urged the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw and end the strikes.
Sky News
20-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Gaza live: Israel hits out at UK, France and Canada after Hamas comments
While warehouses run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees sit empty in Gaza, the opposite is true across the border. Louise Wateridge, a senior aid worker at UNRWA, says there's enough medical care in the warehouse she's at in Jordan to keep all the agency's nine health centres and 38 medical points in Gaza functioning. Addressing a briefing on the situation in Gaza from Amman, she says there's enough food piled up that can feed 200,000 people for a month, with enough hygiene kits for 200,000 families and learning supplies for 375,000 children. "The situation is absurd," she says. "It's appalling, and to be quite frank, it's unforgivable. "All of these supplies that are around me are literally three hours away from the Gaza Strip. They could be there this afternoon." Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to allow a limited amount of aid into Gaza yesterday after an 11-week blockade in response to global concern at reports of famine. Five trucks of aid entered into Gaza yesterday, but the UN's humanitarian chief described this as a "drop in the ocean" and totally inadequate for the population's needs (see 9.27am post). "There is absolutely no time to waste," Wateridge adds. "It has been 11 weeks of siege on the Gaza Strip. "It's a deficit. Anything we provide now is trying to undo damage that's already done. For many, it is too late."
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Desperate, traumatised people': Gaza faces wave of looting, theft and violence
Gaza has been hit by a wave of looting and theft as increasingly desperate Palestinians struggle to get food while criminal gangs exploit a breakdown in law and order. Aid officials and witnesses in the devastated territory describe armed men attacking humanitarian warehouses, firefights over remaining food stores and a spate of stealing of supplies vital for survival, such as solar chargers, batteries, phones and cooking pots. Gaza is on the brink of catastrophe after two months of a total blockade by Israel, aid workers say, with many families down to one meal a day. Spoiled flour is being sold for 30 or 40 times its usual price and no fuel is available other than wood or discarded plastic. Medical officials report rising cases of acute malnutrition, and community kitchens that served 1m meals a day are shutting down for lack of basic essentials. Aid agencies say they have distributed all remaining stocks of food. Dozens of bakeries that supplied vital free bread closed last month. Related: 'There is no life here': Palestinians say Israel is imposing its Gaza endgame 'By the time a famine is declared, it will be too late. The crime wave is because you have 2 million or more desperate, traumatised people packed together with virtually no policing,' said one humanitarian official in Gaza. Gaza City has been worst hit by the crime wave, though some incidents have been reported elsewhere in the territory. One group of armed men broke into two or three bakeries in Gaza City last week, hoping to find flour, then targeted a soup kitchen when they found nothing. In another incident, thieves took a community kitchen's last stocks as well as all its pots and pans. In a third theft, staff at a distribution site run by an NGO were held at knifepoint as it was looted, while the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) said it had to evacuate staff on Wednesday after thousands of Palestinians breached its Gaza City field office and took medications. Louise Wateridge, a senior emergency officer at Unrwa, called the looting 'the direct result of unbearable and prolonged deprivation'. Witnesses described clashes between armed thieves and security guards in recent days. Anas Raafat, a 25-year-old lawyer in Gaza City, said he and his family had been woken when armed gangs attacked a warehouse of a humanitarian aid organisation nearby. 'By a miracle, none of my family members were injured. We lay flat on the ground for over two hours during the gunfire,' he said. Ghadir Rajab, 27, said she saw another NGO's warehouse under attack by thieves. 'When we heard the sound of gunfire, I looked out the window and saw people rushing from all directions to storm the place, searching for food and water. Others were fleeing in fear of being hurt. 'There was a woman looking for her son, only to find out that he had been shot in the shoulder. She was running in the street … screaming 'my son, my son!' She was begging for help, but no one paid attention, people were focused on stealing. Hunger had blinded them.' There have been widespread reports of violent arguments between neighbours and an increase in domestic violence. Petty theft has soared. 'There is no safety. We do not sleep at night at all. We take turns sleeping, leaving one person awake to guard against the rampant theft and looting,' said Mari Al Radea, 46, who recently fled the northern town of Beit Lahiya for Gaza City, where she and her nine children live in a tent. 'Most of the tents in our area have been robbed. We didn't even attempt to find out who the thief was because there is no police or security presence.' Al Radea described frequent clashes between hungry people or between shop security and looters. 'Many confrontations also break out when there are attacks on food storage centres. Bullets often fall near us while we live in a nylon tent that offers no protection from gunfire,' she said. During the ceasefire from mid-January to mid-March, the militant group Hamas deployed police to the streets of Gaza, but these have been withdrawn after being targeted by Israeli airstrikes. Gaza's interior ministry, which is run by Hamas, said on Saturday its security forces had executed six suspects and punished 13 others with gunshots to the legs in the past two days over looting activities. The ministry also enforced a curfew starting on Friday in some of Gaza City's main streets. Looting in Gaza hit a peak late last year when convoys of aid were systematically stripped as they moved into the territory after crossing entry points from Israel. In one incident, more than 100 trucks were taken and looted. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing and reselling aid to finance its military operations. The militant Islamist organisation denies the charge, and aid officials say little humanitarian assistance went astray during the short-lived ceasefire that came into effect in January. On Monday, Israeli officials said they would lift the blockade in order to implement a scheme to deliver aid as part of an 'intensified' offensive in coming weeks. The plan involves a series of distribution hubs in the south of Gaza, which would be run by private contractors and guarded by the Israeli military. UN and other humanitarian officials have dismissed the scheme as unworkable, dangerous and potentially illegal under international law.
