Jordan, US air-drop aid into war-torn Gaza Strip

Jordanian, American armies air-drop food into north, south Gaza — JAF

By JT - Mar 02,2024 - Last updated at Mar 02,2024

The Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) says that Royal Jordanian Air Force aircrafts carried out two airdrops of aid into northern Gaza (Photo courtesy of JAF)

AMMAN — Royal Jordanian Air Force, joined by the US army aircrafts, on Saturday air-dropped food and other relief items into the war-torn Gaza Strip.

The Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) said that the air-drops over Gaza were carried out in implementation of Royal directives.

JAF said that five air-drops were carried out on Saturday, two by Jordanian Air Force over northern Gaza and three by American aircrafts over the war-ravaged strip's south.

The army said it was the first time the US participated in airdrops of aid into Gaza.

The Netherlands, France, the UK, Egypt, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar have participated in airdrops coordinated by JAF.

The army said that Jordan carried out three airdrops of food aid into several locations in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, executed by three C130 aircrafts.

JAF said that the air-drops aimed at mitigating the impacts of the war and addressing the "acute" shortage of essential commodities, including food and medicine, which is a consequence of the ongoing Israeli war, now marking its 148th day.

The army said it will go on with aid deliveries to Gaza through an air bridge, either via relief flights departing from Marka Airport to Egypt’s El Arish International Airport or through direct air-drops into Gaza.

The army said that it has so far carried out 25 air-drops of aid into Gaza since the outbreak of the war on October 7. The army said it had participated in and facilitated 10 air-drops by brotherly and friendly countries.

AFP quoted an unnamed American official as saying Saturday that the combined humanitarian assistance air-drop into Gaza involved three US Air Force C-130s

The planes dropped “66 total bundles of pork-free meals” on Saturday afternoon local time, the official said, adding that a tonnage figure is not currently available, the official said.

President Joe Biden announced the previous day that the United States would start to deliver relief supplies from the air into Gaza, after the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians at an aid convoy on Thursday.

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