Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip): The United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it was blocking aid supplies from the main cargo route into the war-torn Gaza Strip as the threat of armed gangs robbing convoys has increased. The agency blamed Israel's policies primarily for the deterioration in law and order. The decision could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as winter sets in, where thousands of Palestinians live in makeshift camps and rely on international food aid.
looted 100 trucks
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the main aid agency in Gaza, said that the road leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing is very dangerous from the Gaza side. He said that in mid-November armed men had looted about 100 trucks passing through this route. He said the gangs also looted a consignment on Saturday. Kerem Shalom is the only crossing between Israel and Gaza built for the transportation of goods. It has been the main route for aid delivery since the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was closed in May.
6 killed in Israeli attacks
According to Israeli government figures, about two-thirds of the aid delivered to Gaza last month came through Kerem Shalom, and the volume was even higher in the months before. Lazzarini, in a post on 'X', blamed Israel primarily for the failure of humanitarian operations in Gaza. There has been no reaction from Israel at this time. At least six people, including two children, were killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, according to medical officials. Four people were killed in a separate attack in the southern city of Rafah, near the border with Egypt, according to Nasser Hospital.
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