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Mada
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mada
Hundreds of people raid WFP's Gaza warehouse after week of Israeli-hindered aid distribution
Hundreds of people stormed a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir al-Balah Governorate on Wednesday night to seize food provisions after distribution of the little aid that has entered the strip in the last week has been marked by chaotic and often violent outbursts due to Israel's restrictions on how it makes its way to people. Two eyewitnesses of Wednesday night's raid who spoke to Mada described an hours-long struggle between hungry crowds and security personnel stationed to protect the warehouse. At least two people were killed in the incident, according to a statement published by the United Nations program, which said the raid took place amid 'spiralling' humanitarian conditions following over 80 days of a complete blockade on the strip. The ongoing siege imposed by Israel's occupation has stretched dwindling resources in the coastal enclave to their limit, caused widespread sickness, that has led to a rash of deaths from malnutrition, and prompted a rapid breakdown in social order. At the same time, Israel has sought to install a securitized aid-distribution scheme in isolation from independent humanitarian organizations. Alongside the American and Swiss-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Israeli military has established distribution centers policed by its own military, while restricting humanitarian organizations' access to deliver and distribute supplies to families in need, which WFP has called 'the most effective way to prevent widespread starvation.' Those that have made their way to those centers, the first of which opened earlier this week, have faced humiliating conditions and, for some, arrest. When chaos broke out at the center in Rafah earlier this week, Israeli forces opened fire to try to restore order, several of the thousands of people who had gathered at the distribution point were killed and wounded. Israel's induced starvation has prompted a spike in incidents of armed theft across Gaza in recent weeks. An eyewitness to the raid on the WFP's Ghafari warehouse on Wednesday evening told Mada Masr that they were aware before the incident that large quantities of flour were being held in the warehouse. Israel allowed the delivery of sacks of flour to the WFP for the first time in over 80 days last week. However, they prohibited the UN agency from resorting to the previous distribution method, which had seen flour given directly to families. Due to Israel's prohibition, the UN had to resort to distributing the flour to bakeries, which would then make bread and sell it to citizens. Bakeries, however, were unable to manage the crowds of people who had been without sufficient food for over two months. Abu Talal Awwad, the owner of Zadna bakery in Deir al-Balah, told Mada Masr earlier this week that armed groups had stormed several bakeries in the central governorates of Gaza, including the Banna bakery in Deir al-Balah and Hajj bakery in Nuseirat, with assailants threatening to destroy equipment and assaulting staff. An eyewitness to the storming of a bakery told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity th at while waiting in line at a bakery in Nuseirat camp to collect a bundle of loaves, a group of masked men wielding bladed weapons suddenly appeared, seized large quantities of bread, and fled the scene. The bakery subsequently shut down, leaving the eyewitness and tens of thousands of others without access to even a single loaf. Eyewitness Nael Khattab was waiting outside Deir al-Balah's Banna bakery on Saturday to collect a bundle of bread for his family. There was a large crowd and people began pushing, he told Mada Masr. The situation escalated further when some individuals broke down the barriers set up in front of the bakery entrance. The owners had no choice but to open the gates. 'Chaos broke out,' he continued. 'Groups carrying bladed weapons stormed the bakery, stole bread, and loaded it into [tuktuks] waiting outside.' Resident Amal al-Hattou urged for flour to be distributed directly to citizens rather than forcing them to wait for hours at bakeries with no guarantee they'll walk away with any bread. 'We're ready to prepare the bread ourselves,' she said. 'But we don't want to go through this humiliation outside bakeries again just to get some bread.' While some may accept the current bakery-based system in hopes of securing a daily supply of bread, it fails to meet the needs of Gaza's large families, as the allocated quantities are insufficient. Susan Bashir, another resident, said that her household includes 20 people, yet they are only permitted one bundle containing 18 small loaves. She asked how these few loaves are supposed to feed such a large family, adding that if flour were distributed directly, families could bake according to their actual needs. Eyewitness Oday Hemeida called the mechanism ineffective and unjust to hundreds of thousands of residents. There is also no system to manage crowds at bakeries, he said, leading to mass congestion and countless thefts. Many bakeries have refused to participate in the new system, Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, the head of the Gaza Bakery Owners Association, told Mada Masr, arguing that it fails to meet residents' needs and puts bakeries at risk amid the rise of groups stealing bread. He also described thefts, and said that some of the stolen bread was reappearing in markets at extortionate prices. The stocks positioned at the Ghafari warehouse that was raided on Wednesday were pre-positioned there for distribution, the WFP said on Wednesday night. One of the eyewitnesses who spoke to Mada Masr about the raid said they joined the crowd at the Ghafari warehouse hoping they could get a sack of flour for themselves and their family, who they said had not eaten bread for weeks. Armed individuals outside the warehouse initially attempted to defend it, opening fire on some of those who attempted to approach, the eyewitness said. They noted that several people were injured in the fracas over the course of several hours. A second eyewitness also saw armed security personnel outside, who ultimately withdrew as hundreds of people forced their way into the building. Once the crowd was inside, they emptied the warehouse of all its contents, the first eyewitness said, while the second confirmed that the warehouse had been stocked with large amounts of flour. The raid on the warehouse and the failed attempt to have bakeries manage bread distribution may be enough for the WFP to be able to secure the ability to revert to its previous distribution method. Two civil society representatives in the Gaza Strip told Mada Masr on Wednesday that the WFP is expected to begin distributing flour to families instead of bakeries over the coming days. Bakers Owners Association in Gaza head Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami told Mada Masr that after meetings to determine a better mechanism, the WFP informed the association that Israel has finally approved the delivery of flour to the Gaza Strip week for direct distribution to residents, including its northern governorates, starting early next week. Nahed Shehaibar, the head of the Private Transport Association in Gaza, confirmed the information. Ajrami noted that contacts have been made with the Israeli side to request the reopening of the Zikim crossing, on Israel's border with the northern Gaza Strip, to allow flour and food aid to enter the northern governorates. However, he added that Israel is yet to respond to the request. Ultimately, any change in the distribution method will be in Israel's hands, as it controls all the entrance and exit points of Gaza. Approximately 1,000 tons of flour remain at the Karm Abu Salem crossing, awaiting Israeli approval to allow it into the strip in the coming days, Ajrami said. An Egyptian official also told Mada Masr in recent days that authorities have trucks full of material stationed in North Sinai waiting to enter the strip. 'We want to operate the Rafah border,' the official said, 'but Israel doesn't want to get out.'
Mada
2 days ago
- Business
- Mada
IMF still pushing for privatization after otherwise ‘relaxed' Egypt loan review
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation concluded its fifth review of the ongoing US$8 billion loan program with Egypt this week in Cairo with praise for the country's economic performance. However, the fund noted that further steps toward privatization are required, stressing 'the need to accelerate reforms aimed at reducing the state's footprint in the economy.' The current program began in 2022, as Egypt's economy faltered in the economic tailwind caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The agreement has been marked by friction between the IMF and Egyptian authorities, which have been cautious not to spark public anger while implementing recommended policies that undermined Egyptians' purchasing power. The praise Egypt received this time, however, appeared to reflect the degree of 'laxity' shown by Egyptian officials and 'leniency' on the part of the IMF Executive Board during the talks, a government source told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity. Pressure on Egypt has diminished somewhat, according to a member of the House of Representatives' Planning and Budget Committee who attributed the IMF's softened stance to the country's delivery on key loan requirements in ways that 'exceeded expectations.' Liberalizing the exchange rate and monetary tightening are at the forefront of these requirements, the source said. Moving away from a managed peg, the central bank has devalued the Egyptian pound multiple times against the dollar since 2022, allowing daily fluctuations in the exchange rate in recent months. The source also mentioned recent hikes in fuel and electricity prices. Delays in implementing scheduled price increases in both sectors, recommended under the IMF's program to reduce expenditure on subsidies, had been a major stumbling block in completing past reviews. The government has hiked fuel prices by as much as 87 and 207 percent in recent years. During the same period, electricity rates increased by 40-65 percent. Natural gas bracket prices, which had remained unchanged for three years, were raised in September by 15-25 percent. Further hikes in fuel and electricity prices are expected in the upcoming fiscal year, the parliamentary source and a former Petroleum Ministry official told Mada Masr. Inflation has slowed overall, and private investment has increased relative to public, the IMF said. Inflation peaked at around 30 percent in 2024 and has slowed by around 13 percent, according to recent figures. The statement the IMF released on Tuesday to mark the end of its delegation's visit to Cairo also praised a 35 percent increase in the share of private investment relative to public investment over fiscal year 2024/25 compared to FY 23/24. Government investment has shrunk over the past three years from around $15 billion annually to less than $10 billion, the parliamentary source noted. The program has included diminishing expenditure on key public services like education and health. Another reason the review went smoothly is the relative easing of the acute dollar shortage that had frozen imports and economic activity in previous years. 'The government has reopened imports, but they remain constrained primarily by falling demand and purchasing power,' the source said. Speaking to Mada Masr, a financial analyst at an investment firm echoed this view, pointing to around $35 billion in hot money inflows that have helped shield Egypt from a dollar gap. This, they said, has given the government some breathing room, especially with the program set to expire in October 2026. $4.8 billion are yet to be disbursed from the IMF's $8 billion loan. What remains unresolved in the program, the parliamentary source added, is the state's role in the economy. Privatization has been a priority for the IMF in successive package reforms it has recommended since 2016. The source said that the government has offered several explanations for its slow progress toward privatization, including a lack of satisfactory bids for state assets and the need to restructure some of them before they can be put up for sale. In its statement, the IMF emphasized the need to accelerate reforms aimed at reducing the state's footprint in the economy, primarily through the sale of state-owned assets in sectors the government had pledged to exit under its State Ownership Policy. This, the statement said, 'will play a critical role in strengthening the ability of the private sector to better contribute to economic growth in Egypt.' It also warned of Egypt's widening budget deficit, driven by a surge in imports and a decline in fuel exports due to falling production levels. A drop in Suez Canal revenues also contributed to the deficit, the statement said, offsetting gains from tourism, remittances and non-oil exports. It stressed the need to boost government revenues by broadening the tax base to bolster the state's capacity for social and developmental spending, while welcoming recent government efforts to streamline tax and customs procedures to 'increase efficiency and build confidence' — reforms it said are starting to yield positive results. The praise came even as the IMF has yet to publish its fourth review's staff report, which the Egyptian government requested be withheld. The review was approved in March, unlocking a $1.2 billion disbursement. At the time, the IMF also approved Egypt's request for a Resilience and Sustainability Facility agreement, allowing it to access an additional $1.3 billion in financing. The program terms are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, Egypt faces over $6 billion in outstanding payments to the fund through the end of next year, including nearly $3.8 billion due in 2025, according to IMF data. This issue falls under what the IMF describes as Egypt's 'deeper reforms' — measures that are expected to 'unlock the country's growth potential, create high-quality jobs for a growing population, and sustainably reduce its vulnerabilities and increase the economy's resilience to shocks.' Egypt began negotiating with the IMF for a $3 billion loan in late 2022, but the program stalled for several months. Talks resumed in late 2023 and concluded with the loan's augmentation adjustment in two years, which brought the dollar to LE50.
Mada
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mada
Israeli military shoots at aid seekers again near new distribution site, pick-up points remain closed
Thousands of Palestinians who headed to the Israeli-controlled aid distribution zone in southern Gaza on Wednesday did not receive any supplies as the centers remained closed to the public throughout the day, eyewitnesses told Mada Masr. Instead, Israeli drones opened fire on them again, injuring dozens and killing at least four near the Morag corridor, where the new distribution site is located. Aid seekers were told to return home until they are informed of the center's reopening. Wednesday marked the second day of the US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's operations in an area Israel has designated for a new aid distribution program it has sought to install to replace existing mechanisms. In its first day of operations, Israeli forces stationed near the distribution site conducted at least 13 arrests before opening fire on crowds of people who rushed toward the boxed supplies, while GHF evacuated its staff. The Gaza Government Media Office described the operation as 'an absolute failure.' Thousands of Palestinians headed to the aid distribution center in western Rafah on Wednesday, eyewitnesses who were seeking aid told Mada Masr. The center is based near Morag, the bulldozed corridor zone established by the Israeli military to separate Rafah from the rest of southern Gaza. The area was known among locals as the Muharrarat route or Miraj Street, and was dubbed Morag in the period from 1967 until 2005 during which Israel maintained settlements in the Gaza Strip. When they arrived, they found Israeli military vehicles awaiting them near the corridor. Israeli drones opened fire on the crowds to disperse them, the eyewitnesses said. Several aid seekers were injured and an elderly Palestinian woman was killed in the attack, an eyewitness, Nasser al-Louh, told Mada Masr. At least three more aid seekers were killed by Israeli fire at the site, Palestinian outlets reported. Israeli drones then began to broadcast a recording over loudspeakers ordering residents to retreat to their homes and await messages informing them of the center's reopening date, Louh added. The Civil Defense Directorate in Gaza announced on Wednesday that its ambulance services are currently unable to operate in Rafah. The agency stopped its operations in Gaza's southernmost city in March, when Israeli forces invaded the area, breaking the ceasefire. The directorate stated on Wednesday that it faces obstacles in transporting the injured and dead from Rafah to hospitals, saying it is currently forced to move them in civilian and animal-drawn vehicles. Similar scenes ensued on Tuesday when the new distribution points opened for the first time. Lengthy inspections meant that the thousands who had gathered to receive aid grew tired of waiting in areas enclosed with wire mesh under the scorching afternoon sun. A crowd ultimately broke through the gates and rushed toward the aid boxes to seize them, at which point the distribution company, GHF, evacuated its staff while Israeli forces stationed nearby opened fire on aid seekers. Israeli forces injured about 50 Palestinians and killed an unspecified number on Tuesday inside and around the aid distribution center in Rafah, according to Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam, which added that a number of victims remain at the scene and have not yet been recovered.
Mada
5 days ago
- Mada
‘They were burned alive': Israel bombs school sheltering thousands, premises engulfed in flames
Israel bombed a school sheltering thousands of displaced people in east Gaza City on Sunday night, causing fire to spread rapidly through the crowded premises where people were sleeping, eyewitnesses told Mada Masr. 'We heard the cries of the displaced as they were burning inside classrooms. We tried to break the iron bars on the classroom windows, but it was too late for many of them — they were burned alive,' said Ahmed al-Nady, who was at the scene at the time of the explosion. The Gaza Government Media Office said on Monday morning that the heavy strikes on the school killed 31 people, including 18 children and six women, and injured tens of others. The Fahmi al-Jargawi school that was struck is in the Daraj area of Gaza City, the crowded capital where over one million Palestinians are currently sheltering in buildings and temporary camps, according to local officials' latest estimates. Israeli troops displaced hundreds of thousands of people in recent weeks as they advanced on several towns north of the city while launching an aerial bombardment campaign that destroyed much of the towns' infrastructure. 'The fire broke out in the span of seconds,' said Abd al-Nahal, who witnessed the first moments of the attack. 'The displaced had no chance to evacuate the tents and classrooms — the flames engulfed them before they realized what was happening,' he added. He and others present struggled to conduct rescue operations with no access to equipment. 'Children and women were screaming inside the classrooms, calling for help, while we had no real tools to extinguish the fire,' he said. 'The scenes were terrifying and horrific.' Nady echoed his account of what happened. 'The scene was indescribable — pure horror,' he said. 'The charred bodies of children laid in front of me. I could not even carry them; they were burning hot from the intense heat,' he continued. 'I saw a child through a classroom window burning alive while calling his mother, who had burned beside him. This scene will never leave my memory,' he added. First responders at the scene, including civilians like Nady and Nahal, and the civil defense were only able to retrieve the charred remains of some of those who had taken refuge at the site, most of whom were women and children. Fadl Naeem, the head of the Ahli Arab Hospital which received many of the attack victims, likewise told Mada Masr that as well as the injured, some of the charred remains of those killed were delivered to the facility in such a state of damage that it was difficult to establish the identity of those killed. Such critical injuries are difficult to treat due to the severe shortage of medicines and essential supplies imposed by Israel's blockade, Naeem continued. The siege, which it resumed once it renewed its genocidal war in early March, deprived the population in Gaza of food, water, fuel and medicines for over 80 consecutive days and was only interrupted last week when limited supplies of essential aid were permitted to enter the strip. The situation at the facility is 'catastrophic' as it is unequipped to handle the massive number of injured and the hospital's medical staff was forced to move some of the injured to other hospitals, he added. The Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza announced a preliminary death toll shortly after the Israeli attack, stating that its teams were eventually able to extinguish the fire and retrieve 13 dead bodies and 21 wounded. The death toll later increased to 31. In a Monday morning announcement, the Israeli military claimed it had taken 'numerous steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.' It said the strike targeted Hamas and other militant groups allegedly operating from the school — a claim it has repeatedly invoked over the past 19 months of aggression on the strip when striking densely-populated areas where displaced people were sheltering. Targeting the school at night, however, ensured the strike would cause the highest possible number of casualties among those sleeping inside, head of the Government Media Office, Ismail al-Thawabta, told Mada Masr on Monday. He described the Occupation's timing and targeting of the school as deliberate. The scale of destruction and number of fatalities led many eyewitnesses to believe that Israel used different munitions than those previously deployed. 'Occupation forces used a certain type of missiles that cause massive fires,' said Nahal, pointing to the scale of the flames that engulfed the Fahmi al-Jargawi school. The hospital director similarly noted that the nature of the injuries pointed to missiles designed to produce large and destructive fires. Officials and humanitarian organizations operating in the besieged Gaza enclave have warned for months that the medical system is on the verge of collapse, with the remaining facilities either overwhelmed by the intensified Israeli attacks and lack of supplies or directly targeted by Israeli forces. Over the past few days, small quantities of food were allowed into some areas of Gaza for the first time in over 80 days, following Israel's abandonment of the prisoners exchange framework established under the January ceasefire deal. However, UN humanitarian coordinator Tom Fletcher described the amount of aid Israel allowed in as 'a drop in the ocean' and totally inadequate.
Mada
6 days ago
- Politics
- Mada
Israel allows first aid trucks to enter Gaza City after ‘imposed famine' of over 80 days
Israel has allowed aid trucks to enter Gaza City for the first time in nearly three months, according to Nahed Shehaibar, head of the Private Transport Association, which provided trucks for the deliveries, and an eyewitness who saw the trucks pass on the road. 'The Occupation allowed three trucks carrying food supplements to enter Gaza City,' Shehaibar told Mada Masr. This is the first aid of its kind to reach the areas of the Gaza Strip north of the Netsarim axis since Israel broke a ceasefire with Hamas in early March and resumed its genocidal war and siege against Palestinians in the strip. The siege was interrupted last week when small quantities of food aid were allowed to enter central and southern areas of the strip, though two aid distribution sources said at the time that Israel refused to grant permission for aid to enter north Gaza. Agencies in the aid distribution network coordinated with Israel for permission to allow the three trucks to enter northern Gaza at night, Shehaibar said. Trucks must gain Israeli military clearance for their passage to the north, Abdel Nasser al-Ajramy, head of the Bakery Owners Association in Gaza, told Mada Masr last week. Israel refused to allow the trucks to travel at night, only allowing the trucks to enter during daylight hours on Sunday morning, Shehaibar added. The trucks were carrying aid that had entered via the Karam Abu Salem crossing several days ago, he said. They took Rashid Street to arrive at Gaza City, according to Shehaibar. Most of the trucks' contents reached warehouses in the Daraj area in Gaza City's east. Shehaibar noted, however, that some citizens raided the vehicles at the Samer junction in the center of Gaza City, saying it is 'the Occupation which forced citizens to do this by imposing famine and preventing the entry of food for months.' Theft of food and other supplies has become increasingly common across the strip as scarcity has set in amid Israel's blockade on all food, fuel and medical supplies, in effect for more than 80 consecutive days. Footage shared on social media showed a large crowd rushing toward a truck. An eyewitness who was present at the Samer junction said that dozens of citizens boarded the trucks thinking the aid was flour and were surprised to discover it contained only food supplements. The items stolen were insignificant, the eyewitness said, noting that it didn't take long for the trucks to bypass the crowds and continue on their way. Local officials have estimated that over 1 million people are currently sheltering in Gaza City, in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have advanced over recent days, while a heavy bombardment campaign has destroyed much of the northern towns of Beit Lahia and Jabalia. Northern Gaza is separated from the central and southern governorates by a strip of land dubbed the Netsarim axis and occupied by Israeli forces. There have been reports of indiscriminate killing and abductions by Israeli forces at the site. Flour was delivered on Thursday last week to some of the strip's bakeries, namely in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the south and central regions. The total amount of aid that has arrived in the Gaza Strip since the opening of the Karam Abu Salem crossing a few days ago is 300 trucks for various institutions, Shehaibar noted. Before Israel launched its aggression on the strip in October 2023, around 500 trucks entered the coastal enclave daily. Aid agencies have pointed out that the supplies allowed into the strip will do little to mitigate the dire need among people suffering amid nearly three months of uninterrupted war and blockade. UN humanitarian coordinator Tom Fletcher described the permitted supplies as a drop in the ocean and totally inadequate.
