Foreign countries will be able to drop humanitarian aid by parachute into Gaza starting today, following approval from Israel, according to the Israeli military radio station. The situation in the Palestinian enclave remains extremely critical, as nine people died from starvation in the past 24 hours according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, bringing the total death toll from malnutrition since the war began to 122 people, including 83 children.
Although Israel lifted Gaza’s blockade in May, it continues to impose strict restrictions on aid distribution, claiming it seeks to prevent supplies from reaching militant organizations. Meanwhile, UNICEF announced that in just the first two weeks of July, it managed to treat 5,000 children suffering from severe malnutrition in the area. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently stated that Gaza is experiencing a man-made famine caused by the blockade of humanitarian aid.
Airdrop method deemed “insufficient”
Additionally, humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen announced it has resumed operations of its kitchens in Gaza, after suspending activities since November 2024 when staff members were killed in an Israeli airstrike, as reported by a senior IDF official to Sky News. The method of dropping supplies from aircraft had been used previously by countries including Jordan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, but was characterized as insufficient by international organizations.
Gaza: Five civilians killed in 2024 by humanitarian aid package that accidentally fell on them
This method also carries risks, as in March 2024, five civilians were killed when a humanitarian aid package accidentally fell on them. Cases of drowning have also been reported when people attempted to retrieve packages that ended up in the sea. For its part, Israel rejects claims of food shortages, arguing that it took control of distribution to prevent Hamas from misusing the aid.
