Khushi Bhuta, Pune
The President of the United States Joe Biden stated his plans to drop food and resources to Gaza on Friday by air. The statement came after 104 Palestinians were killed while in queue for an Israeli aid convoy.
While health authorities from Gaza have blamed Israeli forces for the deaths, Israel, on the other hand, believes that the cause of the fatalities can be deduced as irresponsibility on the part of the citizens who allegedly swamped around the trucks and got trampled over. Additionally, an official from Israel has also stated that the troops eventually perceived the crowds as a threat.
In his statement, Biden also highlighted the fact that the country is looking up to other countries that are airdropping food to the war zone to aid those in need. He specifically emphasized on the aid provided by Israel’s neighbor Jordan which dropped about 33 tonnes of medical supplies, food, and other necessary resources to Gaza on Thursday. “In the coming days we’re going to join with our friends in Jordan and others in providing air drops of additional food and supplies,” said the President.
Officials have stated that the airdrops might start as early as this weekend. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported that at least 576,000 Gaza Strip residents, or 25% of the territory’s total population, are in danger of starvation.
In a meeting with the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, at the White House, the POTUS declared an expectation of increased efforts as the United States is to “do more” for aid amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The statement has been issued in the middle of current discussions surrounding efforts for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. While the United States has been emphasizing an immediate cease-fire, Biden reiterated that this would allow for more aid to be provided to the citizens of Gaza.
The humanitarian crisis has been continuing since the 7th of October, 2023, when a militant group from Palestine, Hamas, attacked Israel through airways. After the attack that left about 1200 dead and approximately 240 taken as hostages, Israel has been counter-attacking Gaza in an Israel-Hamas war. The war has left over 30,000 dead in Gaza.