US, Jordan conduct humanitarian aid airdrop in Gaza

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US and Jordan conducted additional humanitarian aid airdrops Wednesday into the Gaza Strip.

"U.S. Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on March 20, 2024, at 12:15 p.m. (Gaza time) to provide essential relief to civilians in Gaza affected by the ongoing conflict," US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.

The operation included Jordan providing food and a US Air Force C-130 aircraft, it said.

"A U.S. C-130 dropped 6,000 pounds of food including rice, flour, milk, pasta and canned foods, providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in Northern Gaza," it said, adding that the Department of Defense (DOD) airdrops contribute to ongoing US and partner-nation government efforts to alleviate human suffering.

"These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial deliveries," said CENTCOM.

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 nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured 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.

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.