&w=3840&q=100)
Gaza receives emergency food drops from Jordan, UAE, and Israel as UN warns of mass starvation
Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday, as Israel began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis.
The Israeli military said it had also begun airdropping food into the Palestinian territory – making one drop of seven palettes – while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he characterised as UN 'lies' that his government was to blame for the dire humanitarian situation.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The army also dismissed allegations that it had been using starvation as a weapon, saying it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip'.
UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the tactical pauses, saying he was in 'contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window'.
But the UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 people were 'enduring famine-like conditions' that were already leading to deaths.
The Israeli decision came as international pressure mounted on Netanyahu's government to head off the risk of mass starvation in the territory.
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the chorus of concern on Sunday, urging Netanyahu 'to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now.'
Accusing the UN of fabricating 'pretexts and lies about Israel' blocking aid, Netanyahu said in remarks at an airbase that 'there are secure routes' for aid.
'There have always been, but today it's official. There will be no more excuses,' he added.
Since Israel imposed a total blockade on aid entering Gaza on March 2, the situation inside the territory has deteriorated sharply. More than 100 NGOs warned this week of 'mass starvation'.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Though aid has trickled back in since late May, the UN and humanitarian agencies say Israeli restrictions remain excessive and road access inside Gaza is tightly controlled.
'Life's wish'
The Jordanian military said its planes, working with the United Arab Emirates, had delivered 25 tonnes of aid in three parachute drops over Gaza on Sunday. Truckloads of flour were also seen arriving in northern Gaza through the Zikim area crossing from Israel, according to AFP journalists.
The charity Oxfam's regional policy chief Bushra Khalidi called Israel's latest moves a 'welcome first step' but warned they could prove insufficient.
'Starvation won't be solved by a few trucks or airdrops,' she said. 'What's needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open, and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza.
'We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege.'
In general, humanitarian officials are deeply sceptical airdrops can deliver enough food safely to tackle the hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
In Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa district, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said her 'life's wish' was to simply feed her children. She spoke of her husband returning empty-handed from aid points daily.
Chaotic scenes broke out at the site where Israel conducted its first food drop, witnesses told AFP.
Samih Humeid, a 23-year-old from the Al-Karama neighbourhood of Gaza City, said dozens of people had gathered to rush towards the palettes of supplies parachuted onto the area.
'It felt like a war, everyone trying to grab whatever they could. Hunger is merciless. The quantities were extremely limited, not enough even for a few people, because hunger is everywhere. I only managed to get three cans of fava beans,' he said.
In a social media post, the Israeli military announced it had 'carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip'.
AFP journalists saw Egyptian trucks crossing from Rafah, with cargo routed through Israel's Kerem Shalom checkpoint for inspection before entering Gaza.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Israeli army's daily pause from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm will be limited to areas where its troops are not currently operating – Al-Mawasi in the south, central Deir el-Balah and Gaza City in the north.
Israel said 'designated secure routes' would also open across Gaza for aid convoys carrying food and medicine.
The military said the measures should disprove 'the false claim of deliberate starvation'.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing 'reasonable grounds' to suspect war crimes including starvation – charges Israel vehemently denies.
Activists intercepted
On Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency, Israeli army fire killed 27 Palestinians, 12 of them near aid distribution areas.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.
Separately, the Israeli navy brought an activist boat, the Handala operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, into the part of Ashdod, after intercepting and boarding it late Saturday to prevent it attempting to breach a maritime blockade of Gaza.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had met with 19 of the 21 detained activists and journalists from 10 countries. The other two detainees, dual US-Israeli nationals, had been transferred to Israeli police custody, the group said.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Zohran Mamdani under fire for lavish Uganda wedding: 'Socialism for thee, not for me'
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash after reports of a lavish three-day wedding celebration at his family's estate in Uganda. According to The New York Post, the Indian-origin Democratic Socialist celebrated his wedding to Rama Duwaji in a wealthy suburb outside Kampala. The Indian-origin Democratic Socialist celebrated his wedding to Rama Duwaji in a wealthy suburb outside Kampala.(Getty Images via AFP) Although Mamdani, 33, tied the knot last year, the Uganda event appeared to be extravagant. It reportedly featured armed guards, a cellphone jamming system to prevent photo leaks, and tight security around the estate. A source quoted in the Post claimed that masked special forces were stationed outside the compound to guard the invitation-only event. The revelations quickly drew criticism online, particularly from those questioning Mamdani's political positions on public safety. "NYC Mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani has run on the platform of defunding the police and abolishing prisons but this is his private security outside his family compound in Uganda. Don't those that can't afford private security, also deserve to feel safe and protected?" said one X user. Another added, "Zohran Mamdani wants to ban all guns and defund the police, then flies to Uganda for his wedding, guarded by masked special forces at his family's multimillion-dollar compound. Socialism for thee, not for me." A third user taunted Mamdani's lavish celebration, mocking him as a "man of the people". "Zohran Mamdani: Nothing says American like getting married on your family's luxury Uganda compound. A man of the people," they added. "So it's ok to have masked military for his wedding but ICE isn't supposed to wear masks?" quipped a fourth user. Others criticised Mamdani's privilege in the East African country. "He is privileged. He offers freebies because he's incapable of taking any real steps to improve the economy, as that requires effort."
The Hindu
15 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.K. party threatens to 'force vote' on recognising Palestinian state
A minor opposition party in the British parliament on Sunday (July 27, 2025) threatened to bring forward legislation on recognising Palestinian statehood and "force a vote" if Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to oppose the move. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which pushes for the independence of Scotland, said it would table a "Palestine Recognition Bill" when parliament returns after its summer recess if Starmer did not change his position. The Prime Minister has committed to recognising Palestinian statehood but said it must be part of a peace process in the Middle East. The SNP threat comes after more than 220 British MPs, including dozens from Starmer's ruling Labour party, demanded on Friday that the U.K. government follow France and recognise a Palestinian state. The call, in a letter signed by lawmakers from nine U.K. political parties, came less than 24 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country would formally do so at a U.N. meeting in September. "Unless Keir Starmer stops blocking U.K. recognition of Palestine, the SNP will introduce a Palestine Recognition Bill when Parliament returns in September and force a vote if necessary," said Stephen Flynn, SNP's leader in the U.K. parliament. "Keir Starmer must stop defending the indefensible, finally find a backbone and demand that Israel ends its war now," he added. If France formally recognises a Palestinian state it would be the first G7 country -- and the most powerful European nation to date -- to make the move. Mr. Starmer has come under rising domestic and international pressure over recognising Palestinian statehood, as opposition intensifies to the ongoing war in Gaza amid fears of mass starvation there. The U.K. leader on Saturday spoke to his French and German counterparts and outlined U.K. plans to airdrop aid to people in Gaza and evacuate sick and injured children, his office said. The SNP holds nine seats in the 650-seat UK parliament.
The Hindu
15 minutes ago
- The Hindu
UN to use 'humanitarian pauses' to try to reach Gaza's starving
The United Nations said it would try to reach as many starving people as possible in Gaza after Israel announced it would establish secure land routes in for humanitarian convoys. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had enough food in, or on its way to, the region to feed the 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip for almost three months. UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher said on X he welcomed the announcement of "humanitarian pauses". "In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," he said. WFP said the pauses and corridors should allow emergency food to be safely delivered. "Food aid is the only real way for most people inside Gaza to eat," it said in a statement. It said a third of the population had not been eating for days, and 470,000 people in Gaza "are enduring famine-like conditions" that were leading to deaths. WFP said more than 62,000 tonnes of food assistance was needed monthly to cover the entire Gaza population of two million. The agency noted that, on top of Sunday's "pause" announcement, Israel had pledged to allow more trucks to enter Gaza with quicker clearances along with "assurances of no armed forces or shootings near convoys". "Together, we hope these measures will allow for a surge in urgently needed food assistance to reach hungry people without further delays," it said. 'Dystopian landscape' UN rights chief Volker Turk said Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, was obliged to ensure sufficient food was provided to the population. "Children are starving and dying in front of our eyes. Gaza is a dystopian landscape of deadly attacks and total destruction," he said in a statement. He criticised a U.S. and Israel-backed outfit, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), that in late May began distributing foodstuffs when UN-organised efforts were blocked. Mr. Turk said the GHF's "chaotic, militarised distribution sites were "failing utterly to deliver humanitarian aid at the scope and scale needed". His office says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the GHF started operations -- nearly three-quarters of them in the vicinity of GHF sites. 'Starvation crisis' "The starvation of people in Gaza must end now," UN refugees chief Filippo Grandi said on X. "Standing with UN and NGO colleagues ready to deliver desperately-needed, lifesaving aid to hundreds of thousands at risk of death." Fletcher's UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Friday that conditions on the ground in Gaza were "already catastrophic" and deteriorating. "The starvation crisis is deepening," it said. OCHA said UN teams were in place to ramp up deliveries into the Palestinian territory as soon as they were permitted to do so. "If Israel opens the crossings, lets fuel and equipment in, and allows humanitarian staff to operate safely, the UN will accelerate the delivery of food aid, health services, clean water and waste management, nutrition supplies, and shelter materials," it said.
