Amid increasing pressure, the United States has carried out its first airdrop of aid in Gaza with more than 30,000 meals parachuted in by three military planes.
The operation was reportedly carried out in conjunction with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, US Central Command said even as officials noted that the drop was the first of many announced by President Joe Biden on Friday.
Biden had promised to step up aid to Gaza after the death of more than 100 people seeking aid from a convoy on Thursday.
C-130s dropped more than 38,000 meals along the coastline of Gaza, US Central Command said in a statement.
“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,” it added.
There are other countries including the UK, France, Egypt and Jordan, which have previously airdropped aid into Gaza, but this is the first by the US.
In his statement on Friday, President Biden said the US would “insist that Israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people the help they need”.
According to US officials, Israel supports the mission, which is being carefully planned to ensure the safety of those on the ground.
It is believed that airdrops are an inefficient, expensive and complex way of delivering supplies.
The fact the US has opted for this method underscores the harshness of the humanitarian crisis, and the difficulty of getting aid by road to Gaza’s civilians.
On Thursday, 112 people were killed and more than 760 injured as they crowded around aid lorries on the south-western edge of Gaza City.
Although Hamas accused Israel of firing at civilians, but Israel said most people died in a crush after it fired warning shots.
According to Hamas-controlled health ministry, more than 30,000 people, including 21,000 children and women, have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion of the strip by Israel, adding that some 7,000 are missing and at least 70,450 injured.
The war in Gaza was triggered by the October 7 attacks perpetrated by Hamas militants against Israel, which killed 1,200 Israeli citizens and nationals of other countries.
About 200 others were also abducted and taken hostage which have become the subject of negotiations.
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