Deir al-Balah: In a stark reflection of the deepening humanitarian disaster in Gaza, thousands of desperate Palestinians overran a United Nations food storage site in central Gaza, as famine fears spiral after 18 months of relentless conflict and a prolonged blockade.
Footage captured by AFP revealed chaotic scenes as crowds burst into a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir al-Balah, seizing emergency rations amid the sound of gunfire echoing in the background. The WFP later confirmed in a statement that its Al-Ghafari depot, stocked with supplies for scheduled distribution, was overwhelmed by a flood of civilians in urgent need of food. Initial accounts suggest two fatalities and numerous injuries, though official verification is ongoing.
The dire situation comes as aid begins to trickle in following a two-month Israeli blockade, but experts warn the pace is far from adequate. Food security analysts estimate that roughly 20% of Gaza’s population is on the brink of starvation.
Meanwhile, the dispute over how humanitarian aid is distributed in the besieged enclave has sparked a war of words between Israel and the United Nations. Israel has accused the UN of obstructing aid efforts by discouraging cooperation with the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial, privately managed, US-backed initiative operating outside traditional UN frameworks.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told the Security Council that aid is being routed through the Kerem Shalom crossing under Israeli supervision and facilitated via a new mechanism devised alongside the US and other international allies. He charged that the UN was undermining this system by threatening NGOs willing to work with the GHF.
The UN, for its part, reaffirmed its opposition to any process that fails to meet core humanitarian standards. Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric stated, “We will not engage with operations that fall short of our principles.” He noted that although 800 aid trucks were authorized by Israel last week, fewer than 500 managed to enter Gaza.
Tensions escalated further after thousands rushed a GHF-run facility on Tuesday, resulting in at least one confirmed death and 47 injuries, according to local health sources and UN officials.
The catastrophe in Gaza has now stretched into its 600th day. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the ongoing military campaign had “transformed the Middle East,” claiming the deaths of tens of thousands of militants, including top Hamas figure Mohammed Sinwar, brother of slain leader Yahya Sinwar.
In the US, special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed hope for a ceasefire, hinting at a possible diplomatic breakthrough. "I believe we're nearing a point where we can propose a framework for a temporary truce, and possibly a durable peace," Witkoff said in Washington.
But the mood in Gaza remains grim. “Six hundred days of bombing, and still no peace. Nothing has improved—only suffering,” said Bassam Daloul, a resident of central Gaza.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire continue amid intensifying airstrikes. Families of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks staged renewed protests in Tel Aviv, urging the government not to jeopardize negotiation efforts.
"I was one of the lucky ones rescued," said Arbel Yehud, freed in January. "But each collapsed deal puts those still in captivity in even more danger."
As of now, 57 hostages remain in Gaza—34 presumed dead. The war’s human toll is staggering: over 1,200 Israelis were killed in the initial Hamas assault, and Gaza’s health ministry reports more than 54,000 deaths since the war began, the majority of them civilians.