‘It’s chaos:’ Starving Gazans dig for food, supplies under the rubble

One man carries six jars of cooking oil as he struggles to walk across the rubble. Two little girls run as they each carry stacks of white paper, used to build fire for heat and cooking. A group of men argue, elbowing each other as they battle to find a bag of flour, some tea or even a forgotten blanket.

These are the scenes from the central Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, where an apparent Israeli airstrike on Monday destroyed not only homes and streets, but also the neighborhood’s Al-Baraka bakery, one of the few still standing in the Strip.

In response to CNN questions about the bakery, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday that “in stark contrast to Hamas’ intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”

Dier al-Balah is in the center of the Strip, an area that is coming under increasing Israeli bombardment. Israel has also called on Palestinians in some parts of southern Gaza to leave, issuing digital maps that residents tell CNN are either confusing or to which they don’t have access because of a lack of electricity and internet connectivity. The IDF had earlier in the war encouraged Gazans to move to the southern part of the Strip for their safety, while committing to strike at Hamas “wherever it is.”

The strike in Dier al-Balah occurred overnight, according to residents, and by morning men, women and children were digging through the rubble. But this time, the residents weren’t digging to find loved ones. They were desperately searching for food and other essential supplies.

As the Israel-Hamas war enters its ninth week, signs are emerging of social order breaking down, with reports of looting by people struggling to survive. Since October 9, Israel has blocked access to water, food and electricity in the Strip that is home to more than 2 million Palestinians.

More than 15,899 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel started its campaign there, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza.

In late October, the United Nations warned that order may be breaking down as thousands of desperate Palestinians were taking basic items like flour and hygiene supplies from warehouses. “People are scared, frustrated and desperate,” Thomas White, director of affairs in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said at the time.

“It’s chaos,” one resident told CNN Monday, standing behind a crowd of people scavenging for supplies under the damage. An orphanage was also struck, he said.

Kamil Al-Raie, another resident who has lived on the street since 2006 and whose home was destroyed in the strike, told CNN that hunger had driven Gazans to such desperate measures.

“Look at the people,” he said, referring to the crowd of Palestinians digging through the rubble. “This is all from hunger.”