US military planes airdrop about 38,000 meals into Gaza in first round of emergency humanitarian aid
The supplies consisted of 66 bundles in total, with 22 from each aircraft, including 38,000 meals for the people of Gaza. Notably, water or medical supplies were not included in these bundles.
FollowThe US has initiated airdrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza, as per reports. According to two US officials, three US C-130s delivered humanitarian supplies over Gaza on Saturday. The supplies consisted of 66 bundles in total, with 22 from each aircraft, including 38,000 meals for the people of Gaza. Notably, water or medical supplies were not included in these bundles.
Previously, countries such as France, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates have conducted similar airdrops of aid into Gaza. However, Saturday marked the first such effort from the US. President Joe Biden announced the impending airdrops during a meeting at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday.
Biden expressed his concern over the heartbreaking loss of life and the desperation among the people of Gaza due to the ongoing conflict. He emphasized the need for more aid to reach Gaza promptly and announced the US's commitment to providing additional food and supplies through airdrops.
Biden also underscored his determination to ensure that Israel facilitates the entry of more aid trucks and allows more routes for aid delivery into Gaza without any excuses. He emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that innocent lives, particularly those of children, are at stake.
“The loss of life is heartbreaking. People are so desperate that innocent people got caught in a terrible war unable to feed their families and you saw the response when they tried to get aid in,” Biden said, before adding: “And we need to do more and the United States will do more. In the coming days, we are going to join with our friends in Jordan and others in providing airdrops of additional food and supplies [into Gaza].”
“We’re going to insist that Israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people the help they need, no excuses,” Biden said. “Innocent lives are on the line, and children’s lives are on the line.”
Despite the US's decision to conduct airdrops, critics have voiced skepticism, suggesting that such actions may merely serve as symbolic gestures. The International Rescue Committee aid organization, for instance, stated that airdrops are not a sustainable solution and urged diplomatic efforts to focus on lifting Israel's siege of Gaza.
The decision to conduct airdrops comes in the wake of a deadly incident on Thursday, where at least 115 Palestinians were killed and over 750 injured while attempting to access aid in northern Gaza. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain disputed, with Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry attributing the casualties to Israeli troops opening fire, while Israel claims its troops only responded defensively.
Earlier in the week, three senior United Nations officials warned the Security Council about the looming threat of famine in Gaza. Ramesh Rajasingham, director of coordination at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, highlighted that approximately 576,000 people in Gaza, constituting one-quarter of the population, are on the brink of famine. He also cautioned that if current conditions persist, complete agricultural collapse in northern Gaza could occur by May.
