US, Jordan conduct humanitarian aid airdrops in Gaza

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US and Jordan conducted additional humanitarian aid airdrops Thursday into northern Gaza for civilians affected by the Israel-Hamas war.

"The combined joint operation included three U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft. The U.S. C-130s dropped more than 25,300 meals ready to eat (MREs), providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in Northern Gaza," US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.

More than 6,000 pounds of Jordanian food supplies were also delivered, it said, adding the US has dropped nearly 1,220 tons of assistance to date.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 34,900 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and 78,500 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.​​​​​​​

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.