On Saturday, American cargo planes airdropped 38,000 meals into the embattled Gaza Strip as part of a Washington-planned series of drops aimed at mitigating the region’s escalating humanitarian catastrophe.
The UN has issued a starvation alert for Gaza, and earlier this week, Israeli forces opened fire on a mob of civilians frantically scurrying for food from a truck convoy carrying relief, leaving over 100 dead.
Under increasing political pressure due to the predicament of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, US President Joe Biden announced the impending airstrikes on Friday.
The US military command posted on social media, “On March 2, 2024, between 3:00 and 5:00 pm (Gaza time), US Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Gaza to provide essential relief to civilians affected by the ongoing conflict.”
US C-130 military cargo aircraft “dropped over 38,000 meals along the coastline of Gaza allowing for civilian access to critical aid,” according to CENTCOM.
The command further stated that the 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.”
According to a CENTCOM official who spoke with AFP, the drop consisted of US military supplies devoid of pork, which is forbidden in Islam.
While maintaining military support for the important US ally, Biden has pressed Israel to cut down on civilian losses and for aid to enter.
The United States intends to do several air drops over the course of weeks, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
These air drops will “be a supplement to, not a replacement for, moving things in by ground.”
He called it a “tough military operation” that needed to be carefully planned by the Pentagon to ensure the security of US military troops as well as Gazan civilians.
As part of the coordinated operation, three aircraft dropped 66 bundles of supplies in total.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III congratulated the participating forces in a statement made after the operation for carrying out a “important mission, which contributes to the ongoing international and U.S. efforts to provide humanitarian relief for the people of Gaza.”