UAE, Egypt make 9th Gaza aid airdrop

By Ibrahim Khazen and Cagri Kosak

ISTANBUL (AA) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt air forces carried out a ninth airdrop Saturday of humanitarian and relief aid into the Gaza Strip.

The joint operation was carried out using two aircraft carrying 33 tons of food and medical aid, the Joint Operations Command of the UAE Defense Ministry wrote on X.

The Egyptian Defense Ministry said the Egyptian Air Force "intensified their air aid delivery activities" from Al-Arish Airport to Gaza in coordination with the UAE Air Force.

The airdrop was part of the Birds of Goodness operation to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Since the launch of the initiative on Feb. 29, 405 tons of humanitarian aid have been delivered to Gaza, it said.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian resistance group, 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 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 is 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 Gozde Bayar