Desperate Palestinians Storm UN Aid Warehouse, Four Dead \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Four Palestinians died in a chaotic rush on a UN food warehouse in Gaza. The incident follows gunfire at a new aid site backed by Israel and the U.S., which injured 48. Hunger and desperation are escalating amid widespread aid shortages and Israeli border restrictions.
Quick Looks
- Hundreds of Palestinians stormed a UN warehouse seeking food.
- Four died during the chaos—two crushed, two shot.
- Incident follows gunfire at a new Israeli-aided distribution hub.
- The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is criticized by UN agencies.
- Israel claims Hamas siphons aid, offers no proof.
- Netanyahu confirms Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar’s death.
- Israel destroyed Yemen’s last commercial jet over Houthi attacks.
- Humanitarian groups warn Gaza is at famine’s brink.
Deep Look
Gaza Aid Desperation Turns Deadly as Hunger Crisis Worsens
A desperate scramble for food turned tragic on Wednesday when hundreds of Palestinians stormed a United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warehouse in central Gaza. Crowds of hungry civilians surged at the gates, some tearing through metal walls to gain entry. According to officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, four people lost their lives—two crushed in the stampede and two from gunshot wounds. Witnesses described chaotic scenes of people jostling for 25-kilogram sacks of flour amid intensifying desperation in the enclave.
This incident underscores Gaza’s mounting humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by nearly three months of Israeli border closures that have brought the territory to the edge of famine. On Tuesday, just one day before the warehouse chaos, gunfire erupted at a new aid-distribution site in Rafah established by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israeli and U.S.-backed initiative. At least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others wounded by gunfire, including women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and the Red Cross Field Hospital.
Although the Israeli military claims it only fired warning shots, and GHF insists its private contractors did not open fire, hospital sources report gunshot wounds among the injured. An Associated Press journalist in the area reported hearing tank and gunfire, along with a helicopter releasing flares during the melee.
The GHF aid hub, surrounded by fences and guarded by private security, was created to bypass Hamas and deliver aid directly to civilians. Israel contends the system will prevent Hamas from diverting supplies. However, no conclusive evidence of such diversion has been presented, and UN agencies say they already have safeguards to ensure fair distribution across Gaza.
Critics, including major international humanitarian organizations, have refused to cooperate with the new system. They argue it violates humanitarian principles and may amount to collective punishment. Forcing desperate civilians to relocate to GHF’s limited and militarized hubs could lead to de facto displacement—potentially a breach of international law.
Sigrid Kaag, the acting UN special coordinator for the Middle East, addressed the UN Security Council, lamenting that Gaza residents “have lost hope” and comparing the current aid trickle to “a lifeboat after the ship has sunk.” The World Food Program added that the situation in Gaza has “spiraled out of control” and demanded a massive scale-up in aid deliveries.
Adding to the turmoil, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the killing of senior Hamas figure Mohammed Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar—one of the masterminds behind the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Netanyahu confirmed Mohammed Sinwar’s death in a recent airstrike during a speech before parliament.
On a related front, Israel expanded its military operations to Yemen. Airstrikes targeted the main airport in the capital, Sanaa, destroying the last plane of the state-run airline Yemenia. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the plane had been used by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels who recently launched multiple missile attacks on Israel. Although there were no reported casualties in the strike, the destruction marks a continued escalation between Israel and Iran-backed factions.
The Houthis, a vital player in Iran’s self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance,” have increased their support for Palestinians, raising their regional profile. Though most Houthi missiles have been intercepted, some have breached Israeli defenses, causing damage and casualties.
The broader conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a cross-border assault that killed about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has claimed the lives of over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which notes that most victims are women and children. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu reaffirmed controversial plans to relocate much of Gaza’s population to a “sterile zone” in the south while intensifying operations against Hamas in the north. He described it as “voluntary emigration,” but Palestinians and human rights advocates call it a form of forced displacement—akin to ethnic cleansing.
As food insecurity grows and fatalities mount, the Gaza crisis continues to deteriorate, with humanitarian groups pleading for immediate international intervention and scalable relief access to avoid further loss of life.
Desperate Palestinians Desperate Palestinians
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