### UN Aid Convoy in Gaza Looted After Grenade Attack

In a devastating incident, a UN convoy of 109 trucks carrying essential food supplies was attacked and looted in Gaza on Saturday. As per the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa), 97 of these trucks were commandeered by armed attackers who forced the drivers to unload their cargo at gunpoint immediately after passing through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing. This marks one of the most severe instances of such violence against aid deliveries.

Eyewitnesses detailed the harrowing attack led by masked assailants who deployed grenades against the convoy. Although Unrwa Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini refrained from identifying the attackers, he attributed the chaos to a "total breakdown of civil order" in Gaza, describing the environment as increasingly untenable for humanitarian operations.

Unrwa warns that the interruption of aid deliveries could lead to an escalation of severe food shortages for Gaza's two million residents reliant on such supplies. A recent UN-backed assessment had already indicated a significant risk of imminent famine in northern Gaza, a situation exacerbated by the ongoing conflict and reduced aid deliveries.

The convoy's misdirection reportedly stemmed from instructions by Israeli authorities to take an unfamiliar route shortly before departure, a claim reported by Reuters and confirmed by an Unrwa official. Lazzarini acknowledged the looting and highlighted the absence of local security escorts that previously accompanied such humanitarian missions, emphasizing the subsequent struggle among local factions vying for control.

In a separate statement on X, Unrwa criticized Israeli authorities for neglecting their international legal obligations to ensure the safe delivery of aid and support the Palestinian population's basic needs. Meanwhile, the Israeli military body Cogat pointed to collaborative efforts with UN aid organizations to tackle the logistical challenges of aid distribution, noting longstanding issues of aid accumulation on the Gaza side post-inspection.

The broader context of the crisis includes repeated claims from Israel accusing Hamas of misappropriating aid, though the group contests these allegations. A coalition of 29 non-governmental organizations recently underscored the looting incidents as an aftermath of Israel's targeting of Gaza's police forces, compounded by extreme scarcities and restricted movement routes due to closed crossing points.

Complicating the humanitarian crisis are continuous strikes by Israeli forces, which Palestinian authorities reported to have killed over 30 individuals across Gaza on Monday. Among the fatalities were family members of Dr. Hani Badran, a medic linked with Kamal Adwan hospital, as well as civilians caught in strikes in north-west Gaza City and the al-Mawasi humanitarian area.

The surge in violence follows Israel's extensive campaign to dismantle Hamas, initiated in response to the group's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages. Gaza's health ministry estimates that over 43,920 Palestinians have lost their lives since the conflict's onset, underscoring the grave humanitarian toll as the region grapples with escalating hostilities.