The IDF dropped leaflets on Monday urging Palestinians in northern Gaza not to loot aid trucks traveling through the area, days after dozens of people were killed as crowds rushed an aid convoy in an attempt to loot it.
"People of the northern Gaza Strip, to contribute to improving humanitarian conditions and aid access to the northern Gaza Strip, make way for humanitarian aid and refrain from looting, theft, and acts of chaos so that food reaches the needy and poor throughout the region," read the leaflet dropped by the IDF.
The leaflet quoted verse 29 from Surah An-Nisa of the Quran, reading, "O believers! Do not devour one another’s wealth illegally, but rather trade by mutual consent."
The leaflet also quoted a hadith (a saying or teaching of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad recorded by his companions) sourced to Abu Hurayra, a companion of Muhammad, which stresses that "Everything belonging to a Muslim is forbidden to another Muslim: his blood, his property, and his honor."
Israel Police help secure the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza. March 2024 (Credit: Israel Police)
On Thursday, dozens of Palestinians were killed after crowds rushed an aid convoy traveling through northern Gaza. Hamas accused Israel of shooting at and bombing the crowds, while the IDF says the deaths were caused by people trampling each other and that the only case of shots being fired was a separate incident nearby involving a small group that approached Israeli forces and would not stop despite repeated warnings.
The looting of aid trucks in Gaza has been a consistent issue in recent months as public order in Gaza collapses alongside Hamas' loss of control. Drivers of aid trucks have been shot at and attacked, and aid organizations have struggled to transport and deliver supplies brought into the Strip due to the lack of any security.
Protests try to stop humanitarian aid to Gaza
Additionally, on Monday, Israeli protesters attempted to once again block the Kerem Shalom crossing to prevent the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Police said that after a short discussion, the protesters agreed to leave the site voluntarily, although three protesters who refused to leave were detained.
"Israel Police pursues a policy of acceptance and sensitivity towards the protestors, but will not allow a violation of public order, and will operate with zero tolerance towards those who violate the order and disobey the policemen's instructions," said the police.
The police added that officers from the southern district, as well as Border Police and other national units from the police, have been assisting the IDF in securing the delivery of humanitarian equipment to Gaza, including by ensuring Israeli civilians do not enter the closed military zones where aid is brought into Gaza.