In a tragic reflection of Gaza’s worsening hunger crisis, at least two people were killed when desperate crowds stormed a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Wednesday.
The WFP reported that “hordes of hungry people” broke into the al-Ghafari warehouse, seeking scarce food supplies as the region teeters on the brink of famine.
“Initial reports indicate two people died and several were injured in the tragic incident,” the WFP stated on X, noting it was still verifying details.
Footage showed thousands of Palestinians grabbing bags of flour and food cartons amid gunfire, the source of which remains unclear.
The WFP emphasized that Gaza’s humanitarian needs have “spiralled out of control” following an 11-week Israeli blockade, only recently eased under international pressure.
“Gaza needs an immediate scale-up of food assistance. This is the only way to reassure people that they will not starve,” the WFP urged, calling for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to ensure orderly food distribution.
Despite Israel allowing 121 aid trucks into Gaza on Wednesday, UN Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag told the Security Council that the aid permitted is “comparable to a lifeboat after the ship has sunk” for a population facing famine.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on Thursday killed at least 30 people, including seven at a kindergarten in Jabalia and 19 in Bureij refugee camp, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health and medical sources.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, announced that aid would flow through both the UN and the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), urging the UN to “put their ego aside and cooperate.”
However, the UN has rejected the GHF’s surveillance-based system as “unworkable” and a violation of humanitarian principles.
“This new scheme is surveillance-based rationing that legitimises a policy of deprivation by design,” said Jonathan Whittall, a senior UN aid official, warning it supports Israel’s efforts to depopulate parts of Gaza.
The GHF reported distributing 840,262 meals over two days, but at least 10 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured by Israeli forces at its southern Gaza site, highlighting the dangers of the crisis-driven desperation.
The UN insists that only a massive surge in aid, as seen during a recent ceasefire, can prevent looting by starving residents and enable effective distribution.
Whittall dismissed claims of Hamas diverting aid, pointing instead to criminal gangs operating near the Kerem Shalom crossing, allegedly with Israeli acquiescence.
As Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe deepens, the UN continues to demand an end to engineered scarcity and unrestricted access to save lives.