Amid severe food shortages in Gaza, increasingly violent thefts by criminal gangs are now the main obstacle to distributing supplies in the south

 Gangsters block aid distribution in south Gaza

Image source,Reuters

Image caption,

Food prices soared in Gaza after the looting of nearly 100 UN aid lorries this month

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Amid severe food shortages in Gaza, increasingly violent thefts by criminal gangs are now the main obstacle to distributing supplies in the south, aid workers and locals say.

They allege that armed men operate within plain sight of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a restricted zone by the border.

The BBC has learnt that Hamas - sensing an opportunity to regain its faltering control - has reactivated a special security force to combat theft and banditry.

FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93qevdpzvqo