Societal breakdown in the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war

During the Gaza war, societal and institutional breakdown occurred across the Gaza Strip caused by continual military assaults by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Palestinian law enforcement institutions as well as widespread starvation, famine, and lack of essential supplies created by the conflict and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Due to significant destabilization caused by military conflict and the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis, the United Nations reported in July 2024 that significant increases in looting, killing of law enforcement and humanitarian workers expanded across the Gaza Strip, and were emblematic of greater societal breakdown and spreading "anarchy" throughout the enclave.

Furthermore, with the Hamas government losing control over most of Gaza as the war progressed, a variety of armed groups emerged, with at least some being backed by Israel. +972 Magazine described Gaza as undergoing an "engineered disintegration — one in which Israel actively cultivates Gaza's collapse by empowering criminal militias, fragmenting authority, and dismantling every pillar of Palestinian social infrastructure." Following the October 2025 ceasefire, which involved an IDF withdrawal from roughly half of Gaza, internal violence escalated as Hamas began efforts to reassert control over its portion of the territory. Nonetheless, by 21 October, the IDF evaluated that the group had effectively reestablished political and security control over its half of Gaza.

According to an October 2025 report by ACLED, more than 220 intra-Palestinian violent incidents have occurred since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of around 400 Palestinians. Furthermore, the report states that looting of aid, theft, and violent activity by gangs, clans, and armed groups have become widespread, and that 70% of these incidents have occurred after Israel broke the 2025 ceasefire with its attacks in March.