Israeli Shootings Reveal Gaza’s Governance Vacuum
Over the weekend of July 20, Israeli troops shot and killed Palestinian civilians near aid convoys in northern and southern Gaza, deepening international concern over Israel’s failure to address the region’s growing chaos. The shootings occurred as Palestinians rushed toward food trucks. One of them was backed by Israel, and another was operated by the United Nations, showing the dangers of distributing aid in a territory with no functioning government.
These fatal incidents show what analysts have warned for over a year: Israel’s refusal to plan a political transition in Gaza has led to a power vacuum. With Hamas losing most of its power after 22 months of war, no governing body has been allowed to take over. As a result, widespread lawlessness has made it nearly impossible to distribute aid safely and effectively. Armed groups, criminal networks, and desperate individuals often seize aid trucks, loot supplies, or engage in violence at distribution points. Civilians sometimes carry weapons for self-defense, further fueling the instability. Without a central government or reliable security, humanitarian efforts face constant threats, and many people are left without the food, water, and medicine they urgently need.
On Saturday, civilians surged toward Israeli-controlled food stations run by private contractors, leading soldiers to open fire. The next day, troops fired again, this time at a crowd gathering around a U.N. food convoy in Hamas-controlled territory. In both cases, the Israeli military said soldiers had fired “warning shots” to stop the threats.
Critics say the real threat is Israel’s aid strategy itself. While the Israeli government insists on placing food sites in areas outside Hamas’s reach to prevent theft, this forces starving civilians to cross militarized zones, often at significant personal risk. The alternative, a U.N.-led system with many smaller and safer aid points, stopped distributing food since May in favor of the Israeli-designed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates fewer, more centralized stations. “The bigger issue is the lawlessness and the breakdown of governance,” said Shira Efron, an expert on aid delivery at the Israel Policy Forum. “After 22 months of war, it’s anarchy in Gaza.”
The problem, many experts argue, is not just how aid is distributed, but who is in charge of it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected plans to allow the Palestinian Authority to resume control of Gaza. Without a clear strategy, food convoys are vulnerable to looters, gangs, and Hamas.
International pressure on Israel is starting. On Monday, 25 countries, including France, Britain, and Japan, issued a joint statement condemning the civilian deaths and calling for an immediate end to the war. Even former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has criticized Netanyahu’s strategy, stating, “If arrangements are not made, it’s because the Israeli government doesn’t want them to be made.” As hunger spreads and civilian deaths rise, global voices are calling for humanitarian solutions to prevent further problems in Gaza.
