Thousands break in to Gaza aid warehouses, UN says, as Gaza Health Ministry claims 8,000 dead

Thousands of people broke into several United Nations warehouses and distribution centers in the Gaza Strip to take basic necessities such as flour and hygiene items, the U.N. said Sunday, as Gaza's Health Ministry claims that more than 8,000 Palestinians have died in the area.

The break-in occurred Saturday, and Thomas White, director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, called it a "worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege on Gaza."

The agency, which works with Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, criticized the blockade on most supplies from Israel, which was issued after Hamas, the terrorist organization that was elected to govern the Gaza Strip, invaded Israel on Oct. 7, killing and raping more than 1,400 people, including women, children and the elderly as well as at least 31 U.S. citizens, and kidnapped more than 200 other people. 

More than 80 aid trucks entered Gaza in just one week, but White said, "The current system of convoys is geared to fail," because many of the trucks do not pass inspection requirements. 

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Israel ordered civilians to evacuate northern Gaza to go south as the country launches a ground incursion, even as Hamas terrorists try to prevent civilians from leaving.

Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and terrorists, said the Palestinian death toll surpassed 8,000, according to The Associated Press. Notably, President Joe Biden said last week that he had "no confidence" in the Palestinian death toll, as the Hamas-run agency is notorious for misstating death tolls. 

Last year, the U.N. agency received more than $1 billion, with over $340 million of that coming from U.S. taxpayers, after the agency came under fire for hiring teachers who publicly called for the murder of Jews. Earlier this month, the Biden administration gave $100 million in additional assistance to Palestinians.

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