Aid has already been dropped from the sky into Gaza by Jordan, France, and other countries. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that 576,000 people, or 25% of the population, are just one step away from starvation.
Three C-130cargo planes from Air Forces Central conducted the airdrop, releasing 66 bundles containing approximately 38,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) on the beach along the territory's Mediterranean coast. President Joe Biden, authorizing the mission, expressed urgency in a statement on X, stating:
“„The amount of aid flowing to Gaza is not nearly enough, and we will continue to pull out every stop we can to get more aid in.- Joe Biden
The airdrop, coordinated with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, is anticipated to be the first of many, as the dire situation in Gaza continues to unfold. U.S. Central Command reported that the operation involved a collaboration of U.S. Air Force and RJAF C-130 aircraft, along with Army Soldiers specializing in aerial supply deliveries.
“„The combined operation included U.S. Air Force and RJAF C-130 aircraft and respective Army Soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of supplies, built bundles and ensured the safe drop of food aid.- U.S. Central Command
Biden had announced the decision to air drop food to Gaza on Friday after the tragic incident on Thursday, where Palestinians, rushing for aid, faced fatal consequences. Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported at least 115 killed and hundreds wounded. The Biden administration officials revealed that the airdropstrategically targeted locations perceived as safest for civilians to access aid. The U.S. monitored the sites, observing civilians distributing food among themselves after the airdrop. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby emphasized that while airdrops address the immediate crisis, they are not a substitute for ground transport, which can efficiently transport larger volumes of aid. Kirby noted that planes have the advantage of swift deployment to specific locations, highlighting the C-130's capability to land in austere environments.
The C-130, widely recognized for delivering aid to remote locations, can airlift up to 42,000 pounds of cargo. Its crews are skilled in rigging cargo onto massive pallets for safe aerial deployment.
The decision to resort to airdrops reflects the challenging humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has restricted the entry of essential supplies since the conflict began on October 7. The United Nations estimates that one-quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million population faces starvation, prompting the use of airdrops as a measure of last resort.
U.S. military C-130 cargo planes dropped food on pallets over Gaza as the first step in President Joe Biden's emergency humanitarian aid plan. This came after more than 100 Palestinians were killed when they tried to take goods off of an aid convoy in a chaotic battle with Israeli troops.
Around 38,000 meals were dropped into Gaza by three planes from Air Forces Central at 8:30 a.m. EST. The packages were dropped on a beach in the southwest of Gaza, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Royal Jordanian Air Force managed the airdrop.