Nearly nine out of every ten United Nations aid trucks entering Gaza over the past several months were looted before reaching their intended destinations, according to newly released UN data.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) reported that 2,309 of the 2,604 aid trucks received since aid deliveries resumed in May — nearly 88% — were intercepted en route, either by desperate civilians or armed groups. In June, 90.7% of trucks were looted. In July, that number climbed to 94%.

The aid, meant to address hunger among Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, is often seized directly from convoys during transit, preventing delivery to shelters, hospitals, and designated distribution points. “The long-standing restrictions on aid and the unpredictability of access have created a climate of desperation,” said Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “The vast majority of these interceptions are by starving civilians — people trying to feed their families.”

While the UN maintains that looting is largely driven by hunger-stricken residents, Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of systematically hijacking humanitarian aid for its own use and of obstructing international efforts to provide food and medical supplies. Aid organizations have also documented growing lawlessness in parts of Gaza, where gangs and armed groups frequently raid shipments under the guise of control.

In response to international criticism, Israel has taken new steps to facilitate humanitarian access, including daily pauses in combat operations in parts of the Strip, approving airdrops by foreign governments, and announcing designated humanitarian corridors. Israel announced Tuesday that it would allow private sector goods to enter Gaza for the first time in nearly a year — a move aimed at creating an alternative distribution stream outside of Hamas-controlled channels and overstretched aid agencies.

“There is no policy of starvation,” a senior defense official said. “Aid is entering Gaza. The problem is who is controlling it on the ground — and it’s not us.”

To bypass Hamas, Israel and the U.S. have supported the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a separate aid mechanism designed to deliver supplies directly to civilians. But the GHF has become a flashpoint of chaos in recent weeks, with near-daily gunfire and stampedes at distribution points resulting in hundreds of casualties.

“The world is demanding more aid reach Gaza,” said one Israeli official. “We agree. But until someone ensures it actually reaches those in need and not Hamas or street gangs, the problem will only worsen.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)