Topline
U.S. humanitarian air drops began in Gaza on Saturday, with military aircraft dropping thousands of meals to the war-torn region a day after President Joe Biden announced the effort, the U.S. military said.
Key Facts
In a combined effort with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, U.S. C-130 cargo planes dropped around 38,000 meals along the Gaza coastline, according to U.S. Central Command.
U.S. Central Command says it is “conducting planning for potential follow-on airborne aid delivery missions.”
Biden announced Friday that the U.S. would begin stepping up its humanitarian efforts in Gaza, noting “aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough” as talks for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas have thus far stalled.
The airdrops also come days after Gaza health officials said more than 100 Palestinians were killed during an aid delivery from trucks—Palestinian authorities claim Israeli soldiers shot and killed them and Israeli officials claim most were killed by trampling after hearing Israeli “warning shots” fired due to security concerns about the crowd encroaching on its tanks.
On Saturday, the European Union’s diplomatic service called for an international investigation into the incident, arguing that “many” of the victims were shot by Israeli forces and blaming restrictions by the Israeli army and violent extremists for the short supply of humanitarian aid, which the service says contributes to “a level of desperation that brings about violence.”
What To Watch For
Truce talks were set to resume Sunday in Egypt, Reuters reported Saturday, citing two Egyptian security sources.
Chief Critics
Some critics have dismissed the air drops as ineffective at providing true relief for Palestinians. Scott Paul, associate director of peace and security at Oxfam America said on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thursday the air drops “would mostly serve to relieve the guilty consciences of senior US officials whose policies are contributing to the ongoing atrocities and risk of famine in Gaza.” Another group, the International Rescue Committee, reportedly said in a statement “airdrops do not and cannot substitute for humanitarian access.”
Key Background
Biden also vowed Friday that his administration will “insist that Israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people (in Gaza) the help they need.” The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has created global concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and prompted increasing calls for a cease-fire. The United Nations said this week that nearly 600,000 people in Gaza are “one step away from famine” as northern Gaza could see a “complete agricultural collapse” by May and civilians are “left to rely on woefully inadequate humanitarian food assistance to survive.”
Big Number
More than 30,000. That’s how many people have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry.
