Palestinians surrounded relief vehicles in northern Gaza, leading to a stampede and the subsequent turmoil that killed scores of people. Hamas blamed Israel for the tragedy. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published aerial video of the incident.
Despite Hamas’s repeated rejection of conditions for a temporary truce, the episode brought attention to the chaos and despair in Gaza. The group has maintained that it is not going to free any more Israeli prisoners until Israel withdraws from Gaza.
As Palestinians trampled each other to reach around 30 relief vehicles early in the morning, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that most of the casualties were civilians.
Unknown armed Palestinians opened fire on the vehicles and made off with goods at El-Nabusi Square shortly after.
In another tragic event, a mob of locals surrounded relief vehicles. The villagers startled several Israeli combat troops who were close by. The crowd ignored warning shots. The event resulted in the deaths of about ten Palestinians. Whether these Palestinians were hostile or just innocent bystanders caught up in the mayhem was anybody’s guess.
Palestinians are running out of food and medication, and reports indicated last year that Hamas is stockpiling both. Arab and Western authorities assert that Hamas has a large network of tunnels that hold essential supplies destined for the general public, including fuel and medications.
According to Arab and Western authorities, Hamas has been preparing for a long conflict by storing provisions in tunnels for years. The terrorist organization has constructed a system of 300-mile-long subterranean tunnels with entrances concealed under homes, mosques, and schools. According to a senior Lebanese official, there would be no need for supplies for Hamas to fight for three to four months.
Yocheved Lifshitz told Israeli media that she was given food and sanitary products by her Hamas captors when she was freed in late October 2023.
Aerial images of fuel storage facilities close to the Rafah border in southern Gaza were released by the IDF, which reported that Hamas steals gasoline from unsuspecting citizens.
According to authorities, Hamas had been planning for a confrontation with Israel and had been storing supplies for years.