Aya Batraoui

Well, in a statement, Hamas says this incident reflects Israel's failure to manage the humanitarian crisis that it deliberately created. Israel says its aim is to keep aid from Hamas. But we spoke to witnesses on the ground who were at this scene who said there was no screening at all. Anyone could just take the boxes of food.

Abu Mahmoud Abaza, who was at the site to get food, told NPR about the scene, and he says it was chaotic. He says there was no distribution system. It was chaos. He says nobody asked for IDs or anything. He says people are hungry and there has to be a better way to get food.

Abu Mahmoud Abaza, who was at the site to get food, told NPR about the scene, and he says it was chaotic. He says there was no distribution system. It was chaos. He says nobody asked for IDs or anything. He says people are hungry and there has to be a better way to get food.

Abu Mahmoud Abaza, who was at the site to get food, told NPR about the scene, and he says it was chaotic. He says there was no distribution system. It was chaos. He says nobody asked for IDs or anything. He says people are hungry and there has to be a better way to get food.

So again, unlike how the UN distributes food or used to distribute food in centers across Gaza with IDs and lists of families in need, the system had none of that. There were no screenings or lists and no clarity on who decides who gets the aid and who doesn't.

So again, unlike how the UN distributes food or used to distribute food in centers across Gaza with IDs and lists of families in need, the system had none of that. There were no screenings or lists and no clarity on who decides who gets the aid and who doesn't.

So again, unlike how the UN distributes food or used to distribute food in centers across Gaza with IDs and lists of families in need, the system had none of that. There were no screenings or lists and no clarity on who decides who gets the aid and who doesn't.

Well, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the system. He says it's working.

Well, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the system. He says it's working.

Well, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the system. He says it's working.

But one thing to note, too, Michelle, is that he says the aim is not just to keep aid from Hamas, but to push the entire population south. And Israel says from there, people can be relocated out of Gaza.

But one thing to note, too, Michelle, is that he says the aim is not just to keep aid from Hamas, but to push the entire population south. And Israel says from there, people can be relocated out of Gaza.

But one thing to note, too, Michelle, is that he says the aim is not just to keep aid from Hamas, but to push the entire population south. And Israel says from there, people can be relocated out of Gaza.

Most people in Gaza are living off just one meal a day. It's mostly just lentil soup. Aid groups are being blocked by Israel from bringing aid in at scale. And these aid organizations like the UN and others are refusing to take part in this new plan, saying it's politicizing aid.

Most people in Gaza are living off just one meal a day. It's mostly just lentil soup. Aid groups are being blocked by Israel from bringing aid in at scale. And these aid organizations like the UN and others are refusing to take part in this new plan, saying it's politicizing aid.

Most people in Gaza are living off just one meal a day. It's mostly just lentil soup. Aid groups are being blocked by Israel from bringing aid in at scale. And these aid organizations like the UN and others are refusing to take part in this new plan, saying it's politicizing aid.

The Trump administration, though, says it supports the plan and says the UN and other aid groups are wrong to criticize it. They say 8000 boxes of food were distributed yesterday, although it's unclear how much of that was actually just taken in the mayhem. You know, each box feeds around five to six people for just three and a half days.

The Trump administration, though, says it supports the plan and says the UN and other aid groups are wrong to criticize it. They say 8000 boxes of food were distributed yesterday, although it's unclear how much of that was actually just taken in the mayhem. You know, each box feeds around five to six people for just three and a half days.

The Trump administration, though, says it supports the plan and says the UN and other aid groups are wrong to criticize it. They say 8000 boxes of food were distributed yesterday, although it's unclear how much of that was actually just taken in the mayhem. You know, each box feeds around five to six people for just three and a half days.

But again, people have to walk for miles south to get this food. No food also has reached Gaza City. None of these distribution sites are in the north. And so, you know, you have several trucks of food just yesterday night carrying food intended for Gaza City for the first time in months, taken by hungry crowds in central Gaza right off the trucks. That is NPR's Aya Batraoui. Aya, thank you.