What is happening in Gaza’s “Bermuda Triangle”? | policy

More than a month and a half has passed since a ceasefire was reached in Gaza. Under the agreement, 600 trucks were supposed to cross daily into the Strip, carrying food, medicine, tents, fuel and other basic needs.

We are used to hearing official statements about hundreds of trucks crossing the border every day. Pictures are published, transits are carefully documented, and announcements are made in a festive atmosphere.

An update issued by the Israeli occupation authorities on November 26 stated: “4,200 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza weekly since the beginning of the ceasefire. 70% of the trucks that entered carried food supplies… More than 16,600 food trucks have entered Gaza since the ceasefire. More than 370,000 tons of food.”

When one hears this, one might think that the Palestinians in Gaza are the most well-fed in the world.

But for many of us, it is not clear how Israel counts “food trucks,” as a large number of the commercial trucks allowed in carry food of low nutritional value; Such as chocolate bars and biscuits, or expensive foods such as frozen chicken at $25 per kilogram, or an egg dish that costs $30.

Humanitarian organizations also seem unconvinced by the official number; According to the World Food Programme, only half of the required food enters. Palestinian relief agencies estimate that only a quarter of aid is actually allowed in.

Not only that, a small portion of this quarter ultimately reaches the displaced, the poor, the wounded, and the hungry. Because much of the aid entering Gaza disappears within the Bermuda Triangle.

The shortest distance on the map is the longest, politically and security-wise

The distance between the crossing and the displacement camps – where aid must be distributed – appears very short on the map. But in fact, it is the longest distance imaginable, politically and security-wise.

Yes, many of the trucks that cross never reach the families who need them most.

People hear about trucks, but don’t see food parcels. They hear about tons of flour, but they don’t see bread. They watch videos of trucks entering the Strip, but they do not see them reaching their camps or neighborhoods.

It is as if aid enters Gaza to evaporate.

Recently, talk has increased on the streets about missing aid, especially after food items suddenly appeared in local markets, still bearing labels saying: “Humanitarian aid – not intended for sale.” I have personally seen packages of chicken meat bearing this label sold for $15 per package.

Even when food parcels reach those in need, they are often incomplete. For example, my family received a package that was supposed to contain rice, lentils, and six bottles of cooking oil, and when we opened it, we found neither rice nor lentils, but only three bottles of oil.

It is not just corruption, but a complete collapse in governance

It’s not just corruption. After two years of a systematic war of extermination, the governance system in Gaza collapsed completely, and its institutions were subjected to deliberate targeting by the Israeli army. There is no unified authority, and there is no party capable of imposing order or security.

According to the United Nations Aid Monitoring Mechanism, between May 19 and November 29: “8,035 trucks reached their destinations inside Gaza and 7,127 trucks were “intercepted,” either “peacefully” or “forcibly.”

The Israeli army imposes strict restrictions on the routes trucks can travel, often forcing them to pass through dangerous routes. Some roads cannot be used without coordination with influential families or neighborhood committees, and others are subject to the control of armed groups. Because of this, a journey of only a few kilometers becomes a fragile journey that is easily disrupted. This is how aid disappears within the “Gaza Bermuda Triangle.”

As for international organizations, they are also unable to impose security. It cannot accompany trucks due to the danger, cannot directly supervise unloading, and does not have enough staff to follow up on each shipment. Its reliance on local committees and volunteers means that it relies on a system full of loopholes that are easy to exploit by multiple parties.

Who really benefits from the disappearance of aid?

There are traders looking for a quick profit. There are armed groups looking for sources of funding. There is – of course – the occupation and its allies who want to continue using hunger as a weapon of political pressure. They all benefit from the suffering of Palestinians.

The world is at peace… and turns away

The problem is that interest in what is happening in Gaza has declined since the ceasefire. World public opinion feels reassured – as if the genocide has ended – and no longer asks why aid is not reaching the Palestinian people?

In the corridors of politics and decision-making, the disappearance of aid is treated as a natural consequence of conflict. But it is not so; It is a manufactured crisis, used as a new form of collective punishment for Palestinians.

While the world once again chooses to turn a blind eye, what is hidden within the “Bermuda Triangle” in Gaza is not only the trucks, but also the ability of the Palestinians to withstand.