US President Joe Biden announced the initiation of airdrops for food and emergency supplies into Gaza. This decision comes as Israel continues to restrict access to vital humanitarian supplies through traditional land routes.
Biden announced the decision during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House. Recent Israeli attacks on Palestinians seeking food aid have increased concerns about the United Nations warning of an impending famine.
Questions have emerged regarding the efficiency of delivering aid airdrop. Critics argue that this method highlights the inability to coordinate a ground-based relief effort with Israel, pointing out the need for diplomatic solutions to ensure the lifting of the siege on Gaza.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts and coordination to address the crisis comprehensively. They argue that airdrops are only a temporary solution that diverts attention from proven methods of tackling the humanitarian situation on a larger scale. Some view the airdrop initiative as a symbolic gesture, indicating a possible reluctance to leverage US influence to pressure Israel for more cooperative humanitarian aid efforts.
Efforts to persuade Benjamin Netanyahu to allow more aid into Gaza have faced challenges, with the US refraining from using powerful leverage, such as its dependence on regular and substantial arms supplies to Israel. Critics argue that this lack of meaningful leverage forces the US to resort to desperate and inadequate measures like airdrops, highlighting strained relations between the two nations.
The announcement of airdrops occurred as the United States faced pressure to take a more decisive role in offering a comprehensive solution.
The US will collaborate with Jordan and other nations in the coming days. Jordanian and French air forces have already conducted airdrops, overcoming the limitations posed by security concerns that hinder ground access for aid trucks.
Officials highlight the urgent need for aid in Gaza despite the costly and less controlled nature of airdrops. Hundreds of aid trucks are stuck at Gaza’s border. The recent incident on the outskirts of Gaza City, where over 100 Palestinians were killed after Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of hungry Palestinians scrambling for food aid.
Local hospital administration reports that 80% of the injuries being treated are gunshot wounds. In response, the United States, France, and Germany have requested Israel to conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Isreal, backed and armed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and other western nations, has killed 30,228 Palestinians and wounded 71,377 others since 7 October.
