The Israeli military has once again started dropping humanitarian aid from the sky into Gaza. This move comes after strong pressure from countries around the world. A severe hunger crisis is making life unbearable for many people in the Palestinian territory.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said these air drops happened “recently.” They included seven packages of flour, sugar, and canned foods. Before this, Israel had mentioned it would open a special route for United Nations aid trucks to enter Gaza.
This new step follows months of urgent pleas for Israel to let more help into Gaza. Aid groups have warned of a massive famine. About two million people live there, and supplies have been extremely limited for months. Israel, however, has denied any “false claims” that they are intentionally causing starvation in Gaza.
The IDF stated on July 27 that these air drops were coordinated with international groups. COGAT, an Israeli military agency that handles aid to Gaza, led the effort. The military also shared a video that it said showed the planes dropping aid. However, no independent group has confirmed the video’s contents. Palestinian officials have not yet commented on these reported air drops.
On a recent Saturday evening, the IDF announced it had “started several actions to improve the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip.” They also said they were ready to pause military actions in crowded areas for humanitarian reasons. Additionally, they have restarted electricity to a water purification plant in Gaza. This plant provides fresh water for around 900,000 people.
It’s important to remember that Israel completely cut off all supplies to Gaza in early March. They began sending some aid again in May, but with new rules. Despite these efforts, the situation remains dire. Since late May, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has reported almost daily deaths. These are Palestinians killed while trying to get aid.
The United Nations, many aid organizations, and even some of Israel’s allies have blamed Israel for the growing food crisis in Gaza. They demand that aid be allowed in and distributed without limits. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health claims dozens of people have died from lack of food. By that recent Saturday, the death toll over just a few days reached 125 people, including 85 children.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who leads the World Health Organization (WHO), called the crisis a “man-made famine.” The IDF says it is the United Nations’ and other international aid groups’ job to distribute food to the people in Gaza. They added that these groups must “make sure that the aid does not reach Hamas.”
Israel’s apparent easing of restrictions that Saturday came after it agreed to a plan from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The United Kingdom also supported this plan to air-drop aid into Gaza. However, many aid agencies say such actions will only slightly help the starving people in Gaza.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees), made a point about air drops. He said they are “expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians” if they don’t go as planned.
Source: BBC