Israel announced Saturday that food airdrops to Gaza would be permitted and designated humanitarian corridors established for vital UN aid convoys.
This critical decision comes as thousands of Palestinians within the besieged enclave tragically face the imminent threat of widespread famine.
Before Israel’s public announcement regarding the resumption of flights, the United Arab Emirates had already stated its intention to restart aid drops.
Britain also affirmed its commitment to collaborate with partners, including Jordan, to provide essential assistance.
The apparent move to unblock the flow of humanitarian aid followed reports from the Palestinian civil defence agency of over 50 additional Palestinians tragically killed Saturday.
Some of these fatalities occurred during Israeli strikes and shootings near desperate aid distribution centers.
Simultaneously, a vessel carrying pro-Palestinian activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition attempted to approach Gaza from the sea, openly defying the established Israeli naval blockade.
An official Israeli statement confirmed that humanitarian airdrop operations would be closely coordinated with international aid organizations and the Israeli army.
This effort will be primarily led by COGAT, the civilian affairs unit, and the Israeli Air Force.
Furthermore, it was explicitly decided that designated humanitarian corridors would be firmly established to enable the safe movement of United Nations convoys delivering essential food and medicine to the population.
This initiative, Israel claims, will significantly improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and decisively disprove any “false claim of deliberate starvation.”
However, humanitarian chiefs remain deeply skeptical that airdrops alone can deliver sufficient food to effectively tackle the deepening hunger crisis impacting Gaza’s more than two million inhabitants.
They continue to urgently demand that Israel permit a substantially greater number of overland aid convoys for effective delivery.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly backed the idea of airdrops, pledging to work collaboratively with Jordan to restart these critical operations.
An Israeli official had privately indicated to AFP on Friday that airdrops conducted by the United Arab Emirates and Jordan would soon resume.
Starmer’s office confirmed that during a call with his French and German counterparts, the Prime Minister outlined plans for the UK to partner with Jordan for aid airdrops.
The plan also includes evacuating children requiring urgent medical assistance from the enclave.
The United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, declared on X that air drops would be resuming “immediately,” acknowledging Gaza’s “critical and unprecedented” humanitarian situation.
