The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has suspended its aid operations through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza following a series of armed robberies that have disrupted humanitarian assistance to the besieged territory. The decision comes after armed gangs seized an entire convoy of aid trucks on November 16, followed by another raid on food trucks on November 29.

UNRWA officials cite multiple challenges hampering their humanitarian mission, including the ongoing siege of Gaza, Israeli restrictions on aid quantities, the targeting of local police, and widespread looting. According to UN estimates, more than a third of aid entering Gaza is being stolen, with much of the organized looting occurring in zones under Israeli military drone surveillance but lacking ground troops.

Aid agencies have criticised the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories(COGAT), the Israeli military agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian assistance, for failing to prevent the criminal gangs’ activities. The situation has been exacerbated by the escape of hundreds of convicted criminals from prisons early in the conflict, following bombing raids and the departure of police forces.

The crisis comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and UNRWA. In October, the Israeli Knesset passed a resolution to ban the agency from operating in Israel and end cooperation with the organization. Israel has long criticized UNRWA, established by the UN in 1949, accusing it of anti-Israel bias and claiming it perpetuates the Palestinian refugee situation by maintaining their permanent refugee status.