Air Drop of Humanitarian Supplies into Gaza Strip Amid Growing Crisis
As the Israel-Hamas war continues to escalate, the Gaza Strip is facing a growing humanitarian crisis. In response to this dire situation, more aid supplies were air dropped into the enclave on Tuesday. This comes as President Joe Biden warns that a failure to achieve a cease-fire before the start of Ramadan next week could have dangerous consequences.
Negotiations for a truce and the release of hostages concluded in Cairo on Tuesday with no breakthroughs. However, the Hamas delegation remained in Egypt and is scheduled to meet with mediators on Wednesday. President Biden acknowledged Israel’s cooperation in the negotiations and emphasized that it is now in the hands of Hamas to strike a deal before Ramadan begins.
While Egyptian officials reported that Hamas made a proposal on Tuesday, Israel did not attend the talks. U.S. officials have been advocating for a six-week cease-fire that would lead to the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, as well as increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, Hamas leaders insist on a permanent end to the war and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. They have also declined Israel’s request for the names of the hostages to be freed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected what he calls Hamas’ “delusional” demands and has stated that, truce or not, his military will eventually pursue the militants in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians are currently seeking shelter.
In addition to the issues surrounding a cease-fire, there are unresolved matters such as the return of northern Gaza residents to their homes, the ratio of a hostage-to-prisoner exchange, and which imprisoned militants would be released.
Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha expressed the organization’s openness to proposals and initiatives that align with their position calling for a cease-fire, withdrawal, the return of displaced individuals, the entry of relief convoys, and reconstruction efforts.
The situation in Gaza has become increasingly dire, with reports of overnight Israeli airstrikes killing at least 17 people in the southern city of Khan Younis. The Gaza Health Ministry has also reported that 15 children have starved to death at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, with six others at risk of dying from malnutrition and dehydration. The United Nations has confirmed at least 10 similar deaths in the devastated area.
The United States is putting pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where scenes of desperation and starvation have become distressingly common. President Biden emphasized the need for increased aid, stating that there is no excuse for the current situation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also raised this issue during their separate meetings with Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz.
The U.S. is urging Israel to open more border crossings to facilitate the entry of aid trucks into Gaza. Currently, there are only two crossings in the south, where lengthy checks and a difficult journey to northern Gaza make it challenging for aid to reach the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in need.
Aid groups have highlighted the difficulty of delivering supplies within most of Gaza due to the ongoing hostilities, breakdown of public order, and coordination challenges with the Israeli military.
To address the urgent need for aid, the U.S. Central Command, in collaboration with Jordan, conducted a second air drop of ready-to-eat meals into food-deprived northern Gaza on Tuesday. The operation involved 36,800 meals and was coordinated with Israel. This follows a similar air drop over the weekend, which cost approximately $665,000 and utilized three U.S. and two Jordanian C-130 cargo planes.
John Kirby, the White House spokesman for national security matters, acknowledged that airdrops are not as efficient as aid trucks but emphasized their necessity given the desperate circumstances. He revealed that the U.S. has provided over $180 million worth of humanitarian assistance to Gaza since the start of the war.
The situation in Gaza remains critical, with the need for a cease-fire and increased humanitarian aid becoming increasingly urgent. As negotiations continue and the world watches, the fate of the people in Gaza hangs in the balance.