UAE, Jordan carry out 5th joint airdrop of humanitarian aid in northern Gaza

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan on Friday carried out their fifth joint airdrop mission of humanitarian aid materials for residents of the blockaded Gaza Strip.

According to the Emirati Defense Ministry, the airdrop operation "saw the UAE Air Force and the Royal Jordanian Air Force drop 44 tons of food aid on the besieged area."

"The operation is a testament to the ongoing cooperation and coordination between the UAE and Jordan in providing relief and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people," the Emirati statement added.

The UAE has been conducting a humanitarian operation called "Chivalrous Knight 3" to provide relief and medical assistance to the Palestinians since Nov. 5.

Several Arab nations, namely Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, and Morocco, have carried out joint operations to drop food aid into Gaza over the past three months, in addition to similar operations by the US and some European countries.

Israel has launched a retaliatory offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

The offensive has killed more than 32,600 victims and injured over 75,000 amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught amid acute shortages of 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, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar