Historian Reports Evidence of Israeli Support for Aid Convoy Attacks in Gaza
A historian who was in Gaza for over a month during late December and early January states he observed compelling evidence that Israel backed groups raiding aid convoys during the conflict.
Jean-Pierre Filiu, a Middle East studies professor at Sciences Po university in France, stayed in Gaza’s southern al-Mawasi area under the protection of a humanitarian group.
While Israel has restricted international media and independent observers from entering Gaza, Filiu bypassed Israeli entry restrictions. He left the region after a brief ceasefire in January. His firsthand account, A Historian in Gaza, was released in French in May and in an English version recently.
In the book, Filiu details Israeli military strikes on security forces safeguarding aid shipments. This enabled looters to take large amounts of food and supplies meant for civilians facing severe shortages. International agencies warned of impending famine in parts of Gaza at the time.
Earlier this year, UN officials informed CuriosityNews that public order collapsed in Gaza after Israel targeted police officers assigned to protect aid deliveries. Israel viewed Gaza’s police force—managed by Hamas since 2007—as part of the militant group.
Filiu recounts an incident near his base in al-Mawasi, a densely populated “humanitarian zone” housing displaced families. After weeks of attacks on convoys by groups including local gangs, militias, and desperate civilians, aid officials tested a new route to deter theft.
Sixty-six trucks carrying flour and hygiene supplies traveled west from Israel’s Kerem Shalom checkpoint along the Egyptian border, then north on a coastal road. Filiu states Hamas organized security by enlisting influential local families to supply armed escorts. The convoy soon faced gunfire.
“I was a few hundred meters away that night. Israeli drones clearly assisted looters in attacking local security teams,” Filiu writes.
Israeli forces reportedly killed two armed community leaders waiting in a car to guard the convoy. Twenty trucks were robbed. The UN viewed losing one-third of the shipment as an improvement, given earlier convoys were nearly entirely looted.
Filiu suggests Israel aimed to undermine both Hamas and the UN by permitting looters—some redistributing aid to build influence, others reselling it for profit—to operate freely.
Read next
Deadly Tenerife Wave Claims Four Swimmers Pulled from Coastal Pool
Four individuals have died and another remains missing after a large wave swept swimmers from a well-known coastal pool along Tenerife’s western shore, Spanish officials confirmed Monday.
Rescuers retrieved three bodies on Sunday—a 35-year-old man, a 55-year-old woman, and a man whose details were not disclosed—during a
Edinburgh Airport flights back on track after air traffic control disruption – live updates
Flights Gradually Restart at Edinburgh Hub After Air Traffic Control Disruption
Air travel services are slowly recommencing at Edinburgh airport after a midday halt caused by technical complications within its air traffic management system.
Operations began gradually resuming around 10:40am, as confirmed in an update shared via the airport’
France, UK Accused of Inaction Against Migrant-Targeting Activist Groups
Criticism Over Inaction Against Anti-Migrant Activists in Northern France
UK and French officials have faced allegations of “promoting aggressive and xenophobic conduct” by not addressing British activists traveling to northern France to disrupt small boat crossings.
Nine French organizations assisting individuals in coastal camps released a statement criticizing both governments