Palestinians attempt to collect water in a camp for displaced persons in Gaza City on May 20, 2025, as part of the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas. (Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP.)
A “small number” of the roughly 90 U.N. trucks that delivered humanitarian aid to Gaza on Wednesday for the first time since early March were “intercepted” by residents threatened by famine, a U.N. spokesperson said.
“We understand that a small number of trucks carrying flour were intercepted by residents and their cargo taken,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, avoiding the term “looting.”
“As far as I know, it was not a criminal act involving armed men; it was what I have sometimes described as self-distribution, reflecting the high level of distress among Gaza’s residents who do not know when the next aid delivery will arrive,” he emphasized. Following Israel’s announcement on Sunday allowing limited aid into the territory after two and a half months of blockade, the U.N. had expressed concerns about the risk of looting similar to what had occurred before the temporary cease-fire earlier this year.
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles
