In Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, where over a million displaced people are crowded together, the fear of air strikes is now joined by the fear of violence and anarchy. “It was like a military operation,” says one of the displaced, referring to the looting in the Palestinian Red Crescent tent city on the Moassi coast west of Rafah. “The trucks arrived in the middle of the night two days ago. Armed men got out and took everything they found.” With weapons in hand, they dismantled and loaded 420 tents and all the electrical generators, and also stole fuel from the Egyptian trucks that were on site. During the day, the camp, which was supposed to accommodate some of the thousands of displaced people, was guarded by guards and Palestinian police officers. But it was left unattended at night. “The robbers left a gap behind them. This is anarchy.” The lack of humanitarian aid leads to conflict situations. The import of trucks into Gaza – in the past there have been 500 per day – is woefully inadequate compared to the needs of the population, which are increasing as civilians are forced to leave their homes. On Sunday only 80 trucks passed through the border crossing, today there are 140. Still too few and food prices have skyrocketed in the markets of Rafah. Accusations against the authorities are piling up online; serious irregularities in the distribution of aid supplies and even illegal fundraising are being reported. The allegations are mainly made by Palestinians originally from Gaza who now live abroad. Warning that popular discontent could spread at any time, the Ministry of Economy has in recent days demanded low prices for the sale of some basic products in supermarket chains, such as flour, seed oil and instant coffee. But for other needs, you need to know how to deal with it. The diesel that is now entering the Gaza Strip with aid convoys is being resold on the black market at a price of 30 shekels per liter (7.5 euros). But to buy gasoline – of which there has been an absolute shortage for weeks – the procedure is much more complex. “First of all,” explains a Rafah resident who prefers to remain anonymous, “I had to spread the news among friends. My identity was being verified behind the scenes. Finally, I received a message that led me to a warehouse in a-Salam district. There.” I was told that the price had now risen from 120 shekels (30 euros) to 180 shekels (45 euros) per liter. “Take it or leave it. Delivery is free.” After payment, “a motorcycle suddenly appeared on the street with a person who put a full canister on the sidewalk and disappeared.” Meanwhile, today, near the area occupied by displaced people in Moassi Jeep hit by a missile and three passengers were killed. A kind of attack that reinforces the residents' feeling of complete helplessness and contributes to the other evils that plague them: anarchy, the black market and the increasing contagion of disease, especially among children.
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