1 Palestinian dies, several injured in stampede to reach humanitarian aid dropped over northern Gaza

By Ramzi Mahmud

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – A Palestinian died and several others were injured on Saturday due to a stampede to reach humanitarian aid dropped over northern areas of the Gaza Strip, medical sources told Anadolu.

The number of casualties in the stampede incident was not specified to the Anadolu correspondent by the sources.

The correspondent mentioned that an unidentified aircraft dropped humanitarian aid west of the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, prompting residents to rush towards it in an attempt to obtain it, given their suffering from shortages of food and water.

Earlier on Saturday, Jordan's army announced that it airdropped medical and food aid into the northern Gaza Strip alongside Egypt, US, and Germany.

“The armed forces carried out five airdrops of medical and food aid, with the participation of a number of friendly countries,” the Jordanian army said in a statement.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas in which 1,163 people were killed.

More than 31,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and 73,546 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala