Desperate Struggles: Starving Gazans Scavenging for Food and Supplies Amidst the Ruins
Amidst the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict, Gaza faces dire conditions, as people desperately search for food and supplies buried beneath the ruins Reports indicate a breakdown of social order with instances of looting, reflecting the escalating chaos
In the central Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, a man is seen struggling to carry six jars of cooking oil across the rubble. Meanwhile, two little girls run while carrying stacks of white paper used for fire and cooking. In the midst of the destruction, a group of men argue and elbow each other as they search for basic necessities such as flour, tea, and blankets. This devastation follows an apparent Israeli airstrike on Monday, which not only destroyed homes and streets but also the Al-Baraka bakery, one of the few remaining in the Strip.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) responded to CNN questions about the bakery on Tuesday, stating that "in stark contrast to Hamas intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm."
US Sen. Lindsey Graham and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
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In the central part of the Strip, Dier al-Balah is facing increased Israeli bombardment. Israel has urged Palestinians in certain areas of southern Gaza to evacuate, providing digital maps that are described by residents as confusing or inaccessible due to power and internet outages. Earlier in the conflict, the IDF had advised Gazans to relocate to the southern part of the Strip for their own safety, while also vowing to target Hamas wherever they may be.
Overnight, a strike hit Dier al-Balah, and in the morning, residents, including men, women, and children, were sifting through debris, not in search of loved ones, but for food and essential supplies. As the Israel-Hamas war drags on into its ninth week, there are reports of social order deteriorating, with looting by desperate individuals. Since October 9, Israel has cut off access to water, food, and electricity in the Strip, leaving over 2 million Palestinians struggling to survive.
More than 15,899 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel started its campaign there, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Smoke rises over the Palestinian enclave as a result of Israeli bombardment near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 3, 2023. The ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas have prompted international calls for the protection of civilians and the renewal of an expired truce. The deadly bombardments by Israel in Gaza on December 3 have intensified the urgency for a resolution to the conflict.
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The United Nations issued a warning at the end of October, stating that order could be deteriorating as thousands of Palestinians resorted to taking essential items such as flour and hygiene supplies from warehouses. "People are scared, frustrated, and desperate," said Thomas White, the director of affairs in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), at that time.
"It's absolute chaos," said one resident to CNN on Monday, standing amidst a crowd of people searching for supplies amid the destruction. He also mentioned that an orphanage was hit in the strike.
Kamil Al-Raie, another resident whose home was destroyed in the strike, has been living on the street since 2006. He told CNN that hunger had driven Gazans to resort to such desperate measures.
"See the crowd of Palestinians digging through the rubble," he remarked. "This is all due to hunger."
The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that the entire population of Gaza requires food assistance. At the onset of the current crisis, the relief organization was operating with only 23 bakeries.
Displaced Palestinians queue for food donations in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on November 30.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
"But food systems are collapsing. The last bakery that WFP had been working with was shut down because it had no fuel or gas," the UN agency says on its website.
The Al-Baraka bakery was a lifeline for the community, providing essential bread to alleviate suffering, according to Ibrahim Dabbour, a resident of Deir al-Balah. "The bakery should be off-limits during military operations," he emphasized. Dabbour went on to tell CNN, "Attacking the bakery should be classified as an act of terrorism, to be frank."
The IDF announced an expansion of its ground operation and reported hitting approximately 200 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Among the targets was a school in Beit Hanoun, where the IDF claimed to have discovered "terror infrastructure," including tunnel shafts filled with weapons and explosives, a vehicle carrying weapons, and an arms storage facility.
Tel Aviv, Israel - November 25, 2023: Families of hostages and their supporters gathered for the weekly rally at "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. The rally marked 50 days since the hostages were taken by Hamas, with negotiations for the release of at least 50 hostages underway. An estimated 50,000-100,000 people attended the rally. (Photo by Ori Aviram / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by ORI AVIRAM/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Israeli navy also struck a number of targets overnight, "assisting with the reinforcement of ground troops," the IDF said.
The strikes follow the restart of Israel's military operation against Hamas following the breakdown of a truce. Israel has stated its intention to expand its operations to include the entire territory, including southern Gaza, where many displaced Palestinians have sought shelter. Despite US warnings to minimize civilian casualties, Israel is determined to dismantle Hamas in retaliation for the group's October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of around 240 others.
Leaflets and evacuation phone calls
While Gazans often heed Israels calls to evacuate, many say that wherever they go, they are haunted by the prospect of death - whether it is by airstrike or starvation.
The Israeli military has been dropping leaflets over the southern city of Khan Younis, urging residents to evacuate as the area is labeled a "fighting zone." This comes after the IDF instructed people to evacuate several areas southeast of Khan Younis on Sunday, with a suggestion to move further south for safety reasons. During Israel's operation in the north, southern Gaza was considered a safe area, prompting over 1 million people to relocate there from the north.
On Saturday, a Palestinian was seen holding a leaflet that was dropped by Israeli forces, urging residents to evacuate the Al-Qarara, Khuza'a, Bani Suheila, and Maan regions of the city of Khan Younis in Gaza.
The Israeli military published a new map of Gaza on social media, dividing the Strip into hundreds of numbered sectors labeled as "evacuation zones." The instructions were reiterated through this platform.
Critics have criticized the confusing and inaccurate nature of the map.
"The Israeli army has once again instructed residents of Khan Younis to evacuate," Sari Bashi, program director at Human Rights Watch, stated on X (formerly Twitter) in response to an IDF image of the map that divides neighborhoods into blocks. "Once again, the map contradicts the written instructions (What's the deal with blocks 55? 38-46?)."
"They know there's nowhere safe to go and no safe way to get there," Bashi continued.
However, only a few Palestinians have been able to utilize Israel's map. Some have not even seen the leaflets, and those who have say they lack power and internet access to scan the barcode, as Israel has cut off both.
Israel has stated that the map will be used to provide guidance for evacuations. The leaflets dropped by Israel contain a QR code that, when scanned with a smartphone, displays a grid-marked map of the Gaza Strip indicating safe and unsafe zones for civilians.
Palestinian families, forced to leave their homes because of Israeli attacks, seek refuge in tents at Nasser hospital during the continuing confrontation between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip on November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Saleh Salem
Saleh Salem/Reuters
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Many impoverished Gazans do not have access to smart phones due to the lack of electricity and internet in the area. Khalil Abu Marahil stated that since being evacuated from Gaza City, he and others have had to rely on leaflets, hospital radios, or word of mouth for news.
"He mentioned to CNN that it had been a long time since we last used Facebook.
Residents also mentioned to CNN that aside from receiving leaflets, they are often alerted to evacuate specific areas through phone calls from the Israeli military. This was in reference to their early evacuations from the northern region."
Approximately 1.9 million people, accounting for over 80% of Gaza's entire population, have been displaced within the Gaza Strip since October 7, as reported by UNRWA. Nearly 1 million individuals are seeking shelter in facilities in central and southern Gaza, such as Khan Younis and Rafah.
Sally Essam, a displaced Palestinian currently living in Deir al-Balah, expressed, "We haven't had internet for 50 days now. Only God knows where we'll be after Deir al-Balah."
