US military C-130 cargo planes dropped food on pallets over Gaza on Saturday, in the initial phase of emergency humanitarian aid authorized by President Joe Biden.
This comes after more than a hundred people were killed and hundreds more injured when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians waiting for food.
President Biden also called this Friday for a hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas, which includes a ceasefire and the delivery of supplies for at least six weeks.
The United Nations estimates that more than half a million Palestinians are on the brink of famine.
The United States believes airdrops will help address the dire situation in Gaza, but they are no substitute for trucks, which can carry much more aid more efficiently, although Thursday’s events also showed the risks of ground transportation.
Biden indicated that “The aid flowing to Gaza is not enough and that the lives of innocents and children are at stake” in the Middle East.
The Israel Defense Forces said the troops opened fire because they felt threatened and most of the deaths were the result of trampling.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Friday that the airdrops were being planned to safely deliver emergency humanitarian aid to people on the ground.
Kirby said airdrops have an advantage over trucks because planes can move aid to a specific location very quickly. But in terms of volume, airdrops will be “a complement, not a substitute, for ground transportation.”
But in terms of volume, airdrops will be “a complement, not a substitute, for ground transportation.”
The C-130 is widely used to deliver aid to remote locations because of its ability to land in austere environments.
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