The United States and Jordan collaborated on Saturday to conduct the first-ever aid airdrops to Gaza. This marked the first time the US participated in such a multinational humanitarian effort.
The operation saw two aircraft from the Jordan Armed Forces dropping aid in the northern Gaza Strip, while three aircraft from the US Air Force dropped aid in the south.
The airdrops delivered more than 38,000 meals to Gaza City, where a quarter of the population is on the brink of famine, according to the United Nations.
There were 66 total bundles dropped, 22 from each aircraft, the official said. The bundles were meals dropped for the population of Gaza, and there was no water or medical supplies.
President Joe Biden announced the US's involvement in the airdrops on Friday, stating that the aid flowing into Gaza was insufficient. The White House confirmed that Israel supported the airdrops.
Jordan has been airdropping supplies directly to Gaza and sending aid planes to Egypt’s North Sinai since November last year. Some of the operations involve cooperation with other countries, including the UAE, Egypt, France, and Britain, among others.
However, human rights and international aid organisations criticised the US's efforts, calling them a half measure to divert attention from its failure to pressure Israel into allowing more aid into Gaza.
The aid drops were seen as a last-resort effort due to logistical challenges and the limited impact of aid equivalent to only one or two trucks.
At least 576,000 people in the Gaza Strip—one-quarter of the enclave's population—are one step away from famine, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Hamas' health authorities said Israeli forces had killed more than 100 people trying to reach a relief convoy near Gaza City early on Thursday, as Palestinians face an increasingly desperate situation nearly five months into the war that began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Despite this, the US intends to continue the airdrops as part of a sustained effort, alongside discussions with Cyprus, the UN, and commercial firms to establish a maritime aid route into Gaza.
The distribution of aid within Gaza has been hindered by various factors. They includes criminal gangs looting and reselling aid, highlighting the need for increased assistance in the region.
The next drop is likely to occur this week, probably Wednesday, a U.S. official says. The effort is part of the U.S. push to further redouble efforts to open a maritime corridor and expand deliveries by land, the official adds, stressing that airdrops are not the sole method the U.S. is undertaking to increase aid.
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