[KARAH RUCKER]

ESCALATING LAWLESSNESS AND SECURITY CONCERNS IN GAZA HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY DELAYED HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS — MORE THAN 1-THOUSAND TRUCKLOADS OF AID LAY STAGNANT AT A GAZAN-ISRAELI BORDER CROSSING ON MONDAY — DAYS AFTER ISRAEL IMPLEMENTED A HUMANITARIAN PAUSE IN FIGHTING.

UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS SAY PEOPLE ARE LOOTING TRUCKS AS SOON AS THEY REACH GAZA.

THE NUMBER OF AID TRUCKS ENTERING RAFAH IN MAY DROPPED BY NEARLY 71-PERCENT FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ACCORDING TO UNRWA — AND CRIMINAL ATTACKS ON AID CONVOYS IN THE REGION HAVE SEVERELY DISRUPTED EFFORTS TO DISTRIBUTE VITAL SUPPLIES.

AID OFFICIALS SAY THE SITUATION IS DOING MORE THAN JUST HALTING THE FLOW OF SUPPLIES — IT RAMPS UP THE LAWLESSNESS IN THE REGION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LACK OF POLICE PRESENCE.

AS A RESULT — ISRAEL’S MILITARY INCREASED SECURITY ALONG KEY ROUTES TO FACILITATE SAFER AID DELIVERY ALL WHILE DEALING WITH DIRECT ATTACKS ON CONVOYS AND COMPLEX SMUGGLING RINGS.

LAST WEEK IN GAZA, A GROUP OF MEN STORMED A U.N. WAREHOUSE — NOT FOR FOOD OR MEDICINE, BUT FOR HIDDEN CONTRABAND CIGARETTES, HIGHLY VALUED DUE TO SEVERE SHORTAGES AND SOARING PRICES. UNITED NATION OFFICIALS SAY CIGARETTES HAVE BECOME AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD, CREATING NEW OBSTACLES FOR HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS.

WITH CIGARETTES FETCHING UP TO $25 EACH, SMUGGLING HAS INTENSIFIED, PARTICULARLY AFTER ISRAELI FORCES TOOK CONTROL OF THE SOUTHERN BORDER CROSSING IN RAFAH, PUSHING SMUGGLERS TO THE KEREM SHALOM CROSSING. HOWEVER — UNLIKE RAFAH — THEY’VE BEEN UNABLE TO PULL TRUCKS ASIDE TO UNLOAD CONTRABAND THERE.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS HAVE DISCOVERED CIGARETTES BEING SMUGGLED AMONG AID OR CARRIED BY DRIVERS. SMUGGLERS SOMETIMES CONCEAL PACKS IN HOLLOWED OUT WATERMELONS OR HIDE THEM INSIDE CONTAINERS OF LEGITIMATE GOODS.

MEANWHILE, THE US MILITARY’S TEMPORARY PIER, WHICH HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL FOR JUST ABOUT 10 DAYS TOTAL SINCE ITS COMPLETION IN MAY, HAS FACED CHALLENGES IN DELIVERING HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA.

THE PIER WAS RECENTLY MOVED TO ASH-DOD, ISRAEL, TO PROTECT IT FROM ROUGH SEAS. OFFICIALS ASSURE THAT IT’S SET TO RETURN THIS WEEK TO CONTINUE THE FLOW OF AID.

AIR FORCE MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER SAID  WHILE THIS SETUP IS TEMPORARY, IT HAS ALREADY MOVED OVER 35-HUNDRED METRIC TONS OF AID INTO GAZA.

ADDITIONALLY, PARTNERING WITH THE ROYAL Jordanian AIR FORCE, THE U.S. HAS AIR-DROPPED OVER 1-THOUSAND METRIC TONS OF FOOD AND WATER SINCE MARCH, INCLUDING 10 METRIC TONS OF READY-TO-EAT MEALS INTO NORTHERN GAZA IN JUNE ALONE.

FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING ABOUT THE TENSIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST–BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KARAH RUCKER.