Victor Ezeja
The United States has completed its first airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza as the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants enters the fourth month.
In the operation carried out jointly with Jordan’s air force, three military planes reportedly dropped almost 40,000 meals through parachutes.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWith this being the first from the United States, the President Joe Biden administration has pledged to send more aids to Gaza to ease the worsening humanitarian situation in the enclave.
According to a statement by US Central Command: “These airdrops are part of a sustained effort to get more aid into Gaza, including by expanding the flow of aid through land corridors and routes.”
This aid came after at over 100 people were killed in Gaza as crowds rushed a convoy conveying aids on Thursday.
The US administration officials said that Thursday’s “tragic incident” had underscored “the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza in response to the dire humanitarian situation.”
Aid agencies have, however, said that delivery aid into Gaza through airdrops was inefficient as they are insufficient, adding that it was better done through crossing by trucks.
The deadly incident in which Israeli forces were accused of opening fire on a crowd of Palestinians hoping to get food aid, has sparked global calls for an immediate cease-fire.
Israeli Defence Offices (IDF) spokesman denied that soldiers had shot into the crowd,blaming most of the deaths on a stampede. This was after the IDF had initially confirmed that its forces used live fire in a bid to diperse surging crowd as the aid convoy arrived in the area.
According to NBC News, a U.S. senior administration official said on Saturday that Israel has essentially accepted the proposed framework of a Gaza cease-fire if Hamas agrees to release sick, elderly and women hostages.
“It will be a six-week ceasefire in Gaza starting today if Hamas agrees to release the defined category of vulnerable hostages, the sick, the wounded, elderly and women,” the unnamed official was quoted saying.
According to a BBC report, mediators for the ceasefire will reconvene in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday, and delegations from both Hamas and Israel were expected to comefor the negotiations.
The United Nations World Food Programme has issued a warning that there could soon be a famine in northern Gaza, where an estimated 300,000 people lack access to clean water and food. The region has gotten very little aid in recent weeks.
Following the massacre of around 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7 by Hamas militants who abducted 253 more into Gaza, the Israeli military initiated a massive air and ground battle to destroy the terrorist organization.
Since then, over 30,000 people—including 21,000 women and children—have died in Gaza, according to the health ministry headed by Hamas. More 70,000 people have also been injured, and about 7,000 individuals have gone missing.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
