The United States begins dropping humanitarian aid in Gaza from military planes
President Biden says the operation, which will last weeks, will serve to assist "innocent people … caught in a terrible war unable to feed their families."
File image of a US Air Force C-130 aircraft (US Air Force).
The United States began dropping humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip by air this Saturday. According to official statements, the air operation will last several weeks.
The United States Central Command reported that the operation had been coordinated with the Royal Jordanian Air Force. As detailed, teams specialized in air delivery of supplies dropped packages from C-130 planes between 3 and 5 p.m., local time.
In total, the American team dumped more than 38,000 meals. A confidential source from the command informed AFP that they were distributed in 66 packages, none containing pork.
President Biden had announced on Friday that air deliveries of humanitarian aid would be carried out to alleviate hunger in Gaza.
"Innocent people got caught in a terrible war unable to feed their families and you saw the response when they tried to get aid," said the Democratic president. "But we need to do more, and the United States will do more."
The announcement raised questions about the logistics of the operation, such as the amount of aid that could be delivered from a military plane. According to estimates by The Wall Street Journal, one aircraft has the capacity to transport the same supplies that would fit in up to four trucks. Gaza could receive more than 250 trucks per day.
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