Israel conducts aid airdrop into Gaza amid worsening hunger crisis

Israel has carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, its military announced early on July 27, following weeks of mounting international pressure and growing concerns over widespread starvation in the besieged territory.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airdrop “included seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food.” The operation was conducted “in co-ordination with international organisations and led by Cogat,” the Israeli military body responsible for overseeing aid entry into Gaza. A video purportedly showing a plane dropping the aid was also released, though it has not been independently verified, Caliber.Az reports, citing BBC. 

The IDF added that it had “begun a series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip,” and was “prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas.” It further stated that power had been restored to a desalination plant in Gaza, expected to “serve about 900,000 residents.”

The announcement comes amid escalating calls for Israel to ease restrictions on humanitarian aid and warnings of mass starvation in Gaza, home to around two million people. While Israel has denied allegations of using starvation as a weapon of war, describing them as “the false claim of deliberate starvation,” aid agencies and several of its allies have expressed grave concern.

The United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and various humanitarian groups have criticised Israel’s tight controls over aid deliveries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the unfolding situation “man-made mass starvation.”

On July 26, the Hamas-run health ministry reported that 125 people, including 85 children, had died from malnutrition in recent days. Meanwhile, Gaza residents continue to battle both hunger and dehydration.

One mother told the BBC: “I’m living with no food or drink, no food, no bread, not even water.”

Israel had earlier stated it was ready to open humanitarian corridors for UN aid convoys. It also gave approval for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the US, to operate in the territory. However, the humanitarian response has been marred by violence. Since the GHF began operations in late May, there have been near-daily reports of Palestinians being killed while seeking aid. Eyewitnesses have told the BBC that many were shot by Israeli forces. The IDF maintains that its troops fire warning shots and disputes reported death tolls, accusing Hamas of fueling chaos around aid distribution points.

The airdrop follows Israel’s acceptance of a joint plan by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, supported by the UK, to deliver aid by air. However, aid organisations argue such methods are inadequate to address the scale of the crisis.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), called air drops “expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians” if not executed properly. “We have the equivalent of 6,000 trucks in Jordan and Egypt waiting to enter Gaza,” he said, urging Israel to “lift the siege, open the gates and guarantee safe movements and dignified access to people in need.”

Some Gazans have also voiced concern over the safety of air drops. One man in northern Gaza told BBC Arabic’s Middle East Daily the method was “unsafe” and had “caused numerous tragedies” during previous efforts.

“When aid is dropped from the air, it risks landing directly on tents, potentially causing serious harm, including injury or even death,” he said.

Israel began its military campaign in Gaza following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, more than 59,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

By Sabina Mammadli