Hamas says security operation kills 20 aid truck looters

Gaza, Nov 19 Twenty people were killed in a security operation east of Rafah, southern Gaza, which was supported by Hamas and targeted gangs accused of looting aid trucks entering Gaza, according to Al-Aqsa TV channel of Hamas.

Sources in the local authorities told Al-Aqsa TV that the operation, in cooperation with tribal committees, marks the beginning of a broader security campaign targeting those involved in stealing aid trucks, Xinhua news agency reported.

The campaign "does not target specific tribes but aims to eradicate the phenomenon of truck thefts that have significantly impacted the community and caused famine-like conditions in southern Gaza," the sources said.

Local sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that they heard heavy gunfire and explosions during the operation, which lasted for several hours in border areas east of Rafah.

The operation came two days after the "gangs" seized dozens of aid trucks, particularly those carrying flour, causing severe shortages and widespread public discontent, they told Xinhua.

Also on Monday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on social media platform X that a 109-truck UN convoy carrying food supplies was "violently looted" on Saturday after entering Gaza, as 97 of its trucks were lost and the drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid.

"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 Gaza Strip until people are reached with essential assistance," it said.

Gazans have repeatedly demanded actions against those looting aid trucks entering Gaza so as to prevent the aid from being sold on black markets at inflated prices.