Gaza Border [Israel], March 3 : The United States, in collaboration with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, conducted an unprecedented humanitarian airdrop into Gaza, delivering 38,000 meals along the besieged coastal enclave, CNN reported, citing a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM).
This initiative followed President Joe Biden's remarks that the US would pull out "every stop" to get more aid into the besieged coastal enclave.
The operation, executed by the US Air Force using C-130 aircraft, saw a total of 66 bundles dropped along the Gaza coastline, with each of the three aircraft contributing 22 bundles. Notably, the airdropped supplies consisted solely of meals, with no inclusion of water or medical provisions, as reported by CNN.
"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," CENTCOM said in their statement.
White House officials hailed the operation as a success, viewing it as a pivotal test case for future endeavours. A senior administration official, during a call with reporters, said, "The fact that today's airdrop was successful is an important test case to show that we can do this again in the coming days and weeks successfully."
While applauding the accomplishment, President Biden acknowledged on social media that the amount of aid reaching Gaza was still insufficient. He reiterated the US commitment to spare no effort in increasing aid, aligning with his previous declaration to "pull out every stop" to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In response to the airdrop, the Defence Department plans to conduct additional operations in the coming days, though specific details were not disclosed.
Biden's commitment to securing more routes for aid into Gaza was reiterated, with the president saying, "We're going to insist that Israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people the help they need, no excuses."
This marks a historic move for the US, joining other nations like the United Arab Emirates and France in using airdrops to deliver aid. However, before the operation, several aid agencies criticized the US plan, citing concerns about its effectiveness. Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group's UN director, commented on social media, stating, "Humanitarian workers always complain that airdrops are good photo opportunities but a lousy way to deliver aid," CNN reported.
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