Exclusive | Humanitarian aid stacks up at Gaza border as relief organizations fear Hamas, violent looters

KEREM SHALOM CROSSING, Gaza — Thousands of pallets of humanitarian aid stacked at the Gaza border — from sacks of flour to blankets and canned food — are awaiting delivery by relief organizations that are unwilling to send supply trucks likely to be looted by Hamas terrorists and other street criminals.The aid, coming in on trucks from Jordan, Egypt and the West Bank, has already been inspected by the Israeli Defense Forces before entering Gaza, where the international community and humanitarian organizations are in charge of delivering the assistance to Palestinians.But the path from the Israel-Gaza border to where the aid is needed in the central and north is long — and repeatedly targeted by violent thieves.At least one driver is shot each day in Gaza by looters forcibly stopping aid trucks to pull off whatever they can to make a profit in the middle of the devastated war zone, an IDF spokesperson told The Post.At least 1,100 trucks have gone into Gaza in December, IDF head of coordination and liaison administration for Gaza Col.

Abdullah Halabi said, but it’s unclear how many made it to their final destinations.On Dec.1, the United Nations Relief Workers Agency (UNRWA) announced its suspension of aid deliveries through Kerem Shalom, citing the taking of aid trucks by armed gangs.

“The road out of this crossing has not been safe for months,” it said.“The delivery of humanitarian aid must never be dangerous or turn into an ordeal.“But instead of calling out the rampant violence, increasing its own security, or coordinating with other groups to get the aid where it’s needed, the organization blamed Israel for causing the situation, citing its “ongoing siege, political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid, lack of safety on aid routes and targeting of local police.”They further claimed that it was Israel’s responsibility to protect aid workers and supplies in Gaza before calling for a ceasefire UNRWA alleged would “secure the deliv...