Desperation and Lawlessness Grip Gaza Amid Aid Collapse and Escalating Crime Wave

 Gaza City, May 7 — As humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip deteriorate rapidly under a prolonged Israeli blockade, widespread looting, theft, and lawlessness are spreading across the territory, with armed gangs exploiting the near-total collapse of civil order. Aid officials and residents report a spike in criminal activity driven by hunger, deprivation, and desperation.

Multiple incidents of violence have been reported, including armed raids on humanitarian warehouses, assaults on community kitchens, and theft of essential survival supplies such as solar chargers, cooking utensils, and batteries. With no formal policing structure left to respond, civilians say they are now forced to fend for themselves.

“Gaza is teetering on the brink of catastrophe,” one senior humanitarian official said. “What we are witnessing is not just a humanitarian crisis, but a complete breakdown of social order.”

Following two months of siege conditions, many families are subsisting on a single meal a day, with aid agencies warning of an impending famine. Spoiled flour—virtually the only grain left—is selling for prices 30 to 40 times above normal. Fuel is unavailable, leaving residents to burn wood or plastic for cooking.

The collapse of Gaza’s food support infrastructure is accelerating. Community kitchens that once served over a million meals daily have largely shut down due to supply shortages. Dozens of bakeries offering free bread have also closed, pushing desperate civilians to storm remaining food stores.

Eyewitness accounts describe armed clashes between looters and guards, and increasingly violent confrontations between civilians. Anas Raafat, a 25-year-old lawyer, recounted a terrifying night when gunmen attacked a nearby aid warehouse:

“My family lay flat on the floor for two hours as gunfire raged outside. It’s a miracle none of us were injured.”

In another incident, an NGO distribution site was looted at knifepoint, while the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was forced to evacuate staff after thousands of Palestinians stormed its Gaza City office and seized medical supplies. UNRWA’s senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge described the looting as “the direct result of unbearable and prolonged deprivation.”

The situation is also exacerbating social tensions. Reports of domestic violence, disputes between neighbours, and thefts from refugee tents have become commonplace.
“There is no safety,” said Mari Al Radea, a mother of nine living in a makeshift tent. “We take turns sleeping so someone is always awake to guard our belongings. We’ve stopped reporting thefts—there’s no one left to enforce the law.”

During the temporary ceasefire earlier this year, Hamas maintained a police presence, but it has since been withdrawn following targeted Israeli strikes. In a rare public response, Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry announced on Saturday that it had executed six individuals and injured 13 others by shooting them in the legs for involvement in looting. A nighttime curfew has now been imposed across parts of Gaza City.

Looting has been a recurring issue throughout the conflict. Late last year, over 100 aid trucks were reportedly seized as convoys attempted to cross from Israel into Gaza. While Israeli officials accuse Hamas of diverting aid for military use, humanitarian organizations say theft was minimal during the ceasefire and argue that most aid distribution has been handled responsibly.

In a new development, Israeli authorities said on Monday they plan to ease the blockade to facilitate a new aid delivery mechanism involving southern Gaza distribution hubs operated by private contractors and secured by the Israeli military. However, humanitarian officials have rejected the proposal, describing it as unworkable, risky, and potentially in breach of international law.

As Gaza edges closer to humanitarian collapse, calls for an immediate and sustained ceasefire have grown louder from aid groups and international agencies, warning that without swift intervention, famine and further lawlessness are imminent.