A United Nations employee checks humanitarian aid on a convoy of lorries entering the Gaza Strip from Egypt via the Rafah border crossing in a file photo from Oct. 21, 2023. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency complained this week that one such convoy was “violently looted” while passing through Gaza. (Eyad Baba – AFP / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short November 22, 2024 at 3:33pm
As United Nations groups try to provide aid to Gaza, they’ve run up against violent resistance.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency posted to social media platform X on Monday, saying a 109-truck convoy was “violently looted.” The post continued, saying, “The vast majority of the trucks, 97 in total, were lost and drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid.”
While that in itself is clearly awful for the innocent people who desperately need help, there’s another facet to this development, in that both the UNRWA and the New York Times are both somehow blaming Israel.
The UNRWA’s post is ambiguous concerning the culprits, but if the convoy was in Gaza, individuals affiliated with Hamas are likely, or at the very least more likely to be involved than Israel.
A joint 109-truck @UN convoy carrying food supplies to people in #Gaza was violently looted on 16 November. The vast majority of the trucks, 97 in total, were lost and drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid.
Due to critical shortages of flour, all eight UN-supported… pic.twitter.com/59RHJKWLAU
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) November 18, 2024
Note the last two paragraphs of the post.
“Without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over 2 million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive.”
The UNRWA concluded by saying, “The Israeli authorities continue to disregard their legal obligations under international law to ensure the population’s basic needs are met and to facilitate the safe delivery of aid. Such responsibilities continue when trucks enter the #GazaStrip, until people are reached with essential assistance.”
Should the US pull back funding from the UN?
The reasoning is suspect in pinning the blame on Israel, as the UNRWA said twice in the message that the convoy was physically in Gaza.
Should we not be asking Hamas questions about the looting instead?
The New York Times reported on comments by UNRWA Spokeswoman Louise Wateridge, who described the situation as “at a stage where we’re seeing people literally fighting over a bag of flour.”
She mentioned Israel’s role, saying, “Authorities continue to restrict a huge amount of the humanitarian response. Everything here is being strangled — food, flour, water — everything.”
The Times wrote following those comments that “The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the episode.”
Why would they?
Does the Times expect Israel to have a response for something that happened to truckloads of aid while it was in Gaza?
The article mentioned what the UNRWA had already said: They don’t know who’s responsible.
Social media users raised the obvious questions in comments to the UNRWA post. Many individuals asked why the UNRWA failed to blame Hamas.
“The convoy was looted by who?” one of them asked.
“The drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid by who? The aid that Israel is providing, is not being delivered because of who?”
He then answered his own question: “Hamas. Which includes @UNRWA employees. Why are you letting people assume it was someone else? Name them. Hamas.”
The convoy was looted by who?
The drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid by who?
The aid that Israel is providing, is not being delivered because of who?
Hamas. Which includes @UNRWA employees.
Why are you letting people assume it was someone else? Name them. Hamas.
— Rich Toronto (@rich_toronto) November 18, 2024
Another pointed out how Israel seems to get blamed and criticized no matter how it responds.
“When Israeli soldiers tried to stop the looting by shooting the armed looters, UNRWA falsely accused Israel of shooting at UN convoys,” he said.
When Israeli soldiers tried to stop the looting by shooting the armed looters, UNRWA falsely accused Israel of shooting at UN convoys. @LandP1776
— Seth Grossman (@Grossman4NJ) November 18, 2024
Again, if the responsible parties aren’t known, how is this Israel’s fault?
If Gazans are going to get help, those in charge in Gaza need to ensure aid arrives without thugs taking it at gunpoint.
Sam Short is an Instructor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London.
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