In the midst of an ongoing humanitarian crisis, military planes from various nations parachuted aid over Gaza on Sunday, in a bid to alleviate the dire situation facing the besieged territory’s population. The airdrop, witnessed by an AFP photographer aboard a Jordanian military plane, aimed to provide much-needed relief to Gaza’s northern regions, where famine is looming more than five months into the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Jordanian army, in collaboration with the United States, France, Belgium, and Egypt, conducted a joint relief operation, involving six airdrops over northern Gaza. This initiative comes as part of ongoing efforts to address the escalating crisis that has left the majority of Gaza’s 2.4 million people on the brink of famine, exacerbated by Israeli restrictions on overland aid access.
Witnesses on the ground reported hundreds of Palestinians rushing to receive the falling pallets of basic supplies, including men, women, and children. The sight of people anxiously awaiting the delivery of aid underscored the desperate circumstances facing Gaza’s population. However, alongside the relief effort, the AFP journalist observed widespread destruction in the region, a stark reminder of the devastation wrought by the conflict.
The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported a troubling rise in malnutrition and dehydration-related deaths, with at least 23 people, mostly children, succumbing to these conditions in recent weeks. Aid groups have warned that the limited access of humanitarian supplies into Gaza since October has exacerbated the crisis, leaving many without access to basic necessities.
While the airdrop represents a temporary solution to address immediate needs, humanitarian workers and UN officials have emphasized the importance of easing overland access for aid trucks into Gaza. They argue that sustained, unrestricted access would be more effective in providing long-term relief to the population.
The recent escalation of violence in the region, triggered by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel in October, has resulted in significant civilian casualties on both sides. According to official figures, approximately 1,160 people, predominantly civilians, have lost their lives in Israel, while Gaza has seen at least 31,045 casualties, the majority being women and children.
As the conflict persists and the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community faces mounting pressure to address the urgent needs of Gaza’s population and work towards a sustainable resolution to the longstanding conflict in the region.
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