Joe Biden
On Friday, US President Joe Biden revealed plans to launch the first military airdrop of food and supplies into Gaza, a day after the deaths of Palestinians queuing for relief highlighted a mounting humanitarian disaster in the coastal territory.
Biden stated that the US airdrop would take place in the coming days, but provided no other details. Other countries, including Jordan and France, have also airdropped aid into Gaza.
“We need to do more, and the United States will do more”, Biden told the media, adding that aid flowing to Gaza is far from sufficient.
At the White House, spokesman John Kirby stated that airdrops would become a sustained effort. He also stated that the initial airdrop will most likely consist of military MREs or meals-ready-to-eat.
“This isn’t going to be one-and-done”, Kirby explained.
Biden told the media that the United States was also considering the potential of a marine channel to transfer huge amounts of aid to Gaza.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 576,000 people in the Gaza Strip, or one-quarter of the enclave’s population, are just one step away from famine.
Gaza health officials reported Israeli soldiers killed more than 100 civilians trying to reach a rescue convoy near Gaza City early on Thursday, as Palestinians face an increasingly grave scenario nearly five months into the war, which began with a Hamas onslaught on Israel on October 7.
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