DOHA, June 1. /TASS/. Hamas has lost control over the security situation in the Gaza Strip, with looting and theft of humanitarian aid being widely practices amid acute food crisis, the Al Arabiya television channel reported.
According to the television channel’s sources, criminal groups seize trucks with humanitarian aid, loot houses and intimidate Gazans. Hamas is trying to enroll support from leaders of influential families to come with the turmoil and lootings, but the situation is not improving.
All Hamas-controlled ministries and institutions are paralyzed, with the government security system not operating following the killings of many officials and Hamas activists. In this environment, extremist groups are actively recruiting new members, the sources said.
Apart from that, Hamas is facing problems with paying wages to its members since after the conflict flared up, Gaza’s authorities have been collecting much less taxes and other revenues. Amid wage arrears, many employees of Hamas-controlled agencies opt to quit their jobs.
On March 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the suspension of humanitarian deliveries to the Gaza Strip and the closure of all checkpoint along the border with the enclave. The Israeli side motivated this move by Hamas’ rejection of the US settlement proposal. On March 18, Israel resumed combat operations in the Gaza Strip, thus cutting short the ceasefire that had been in place in the enclave since January 2025. On May 18, Israel said earlier that it will allow "a basic amount of food" to be brought to the Gaza Strip to keep people from going hungry. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on Sunday that 800 truck with humanitarian cargoes had entered the enclave in the past 17 day. This much of aid meets only 9% of the Gaza population’s basic needs, it added.