Britain leads calls for airdrops as Gaza hunger crisis deepens
The UK decision to support the plans of regional partners Jordan and the United Arab Emirates came as pro-Palestinian activists piloted a symbolic aid vessel towards the shores of Gaza in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade.
On the ground, the territory's civil defence agency said at least 40 more Palestinians had been killed in Israeli military strikes and shootings.
Humanitarian chiefs are deeply sceptical that airdrops can deliver enough food to tackle the deepening hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants and are instead demanding that Israel allow more overland convoys.
But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the idea, vowing to work with Jordan to restart airdrops -- and with France and Germany to develop a plan for a lasting ceasefire.
An Israeli official told AFP on Friday that airdrops in Gaza would resume soon, adding they would be conducted by the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Starmer's office said that in a call with his French and German counterparts, the "prime minister set out how the UK will also be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance".
The United Arab Emirates said it would resume airdrops "immediately".
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical and unprecedented level," Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a post on X. "Air drops are resuming once more, immediately."
- 'Starving civilians' -
A number of Western and Arab governments carried out air drops in Gaza in 2024, at a time when aid deliveries by land also faced Israeli restrictions, but many in the humanitarian community consider them ineffective.
"Airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation. They are expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians," said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Israel imposed a total blockade on the entry of aid into Gaza on March 2 after talks to extend a ceasefire in the now 21-month-old conflict broke down. In late May, it began to allow a trickle of aid to enter.
Israel's military insists it does not limit the number of trucks going into the Gaza Strip, and alleges that UN agencies and relief groups are not collecting the aid once it is inside the territory.
But humanitarian organisations accuse the Israeli army of imposing excessive restrictions, while tightly controlling road access within Gaza.
A separate aid operation is under way through the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but has faced fierce international criticism after Israeli fire killed hundreds of Palestinians near distribution points.
- Naval blockade -
On Saturday, pro-Palestinian activist group Freedom Flotilla said its latest aid boat, the Handala, was approaching Gaza and had already got closer than its previous vessel, the Madleen, which was intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces last month.
The Israeli military said it was monitoring the situation and was prepared to enforce what it called its "legal maritime security blockade".
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed 40 people on Saturday, including 14 killed in separate incidents near aid distribution centres.
One of the 14 was killed "after Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid" northwest of Gaza City, the agency said.
Witnesses told AFP that several thousand people had gathered in the area.
Abu Samir Hamoudeh, 42, said the Israeli military opened fire while people were waiting to approach a distribution point near an Israeli military post in the Zikim area, northwest of Sudaniyah.
The Israeli military told AFP that its troops fired "warning shots to distance the crowd" after identifying an "immediate threat".
It added that it was not aware of any casualties as a result of the fire.
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.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas's October 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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
5 hours ago
- The Age
New police chief reveals firm stance on protest permits, issues warning to organised crime
On Sunday, pro-Palestine protesters marched through the city to the National Gallery of Victoria. Security closed the entry while police monitored the rally outside. There has been fierce debate about what constitutes hate speech by attendees, who have repeatedly been heard chanting 'Death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]' and 'Death to the IOF [Israeli Occupying Force]'. Former Victorian governor Linda Dessau said last week the slogans were hate speech and that those who use them should be prosecuted. In his first interview with The Age since arriving from New Zealand, Bush also insisted he had the 'utmost confidence' in the protracted police investigation into the firebombing of a Ripponlea synagogue last December, an attack which drew international condemnation. Speaking on a wide range of issues, Bush warned that serious youth offenders would face prison if they continued to endanger community safety, that organised criminals and outlaw motorcycle gangs would 'feel the heat' under his watch and that a taskforce established to investigate underworld infiltration of the CFMEU was making progress. The 65-year-old has spent most of his first month in the top job consulting community groups and government departments, while also visiting more than a dozen stations from Warrnambool to St Kilda. Lured out of retirement by the Allan government, Bush is keenly aware of the challenges ahead but hopes to replicate his success while serving as New Zealand's police commissioner from 2014 until 2020. Restoring public trust in the force will be one of Bush's most pressing concerns, following an unprecedented slump over the past three years. Just 55 per cent of Victorians were likely to have confidence in Victoria Police, according to an annual survey released in May, which was 20 per cent lower than the previous financial year. Bush insists that figure needs to be above 80 per cent. 'We are taking that survey on the chin, we are not hiding from it, we know what we need to do,' he said. 'We have to be operationally excellent, we have to be out there preventing crime, we've got to respond properly, and our investigations have to be first-class,' he said. Bush says there needed to be a 'hard edge and a soft edge' in the response to youth crime, which has soared to the highest rates since records began, and sparked widespread community anger. 'At the hard end, there has to be a consequence, and they must know there is a consequence. They do things that risk their own lives and risk the lives and safety of others, so at the tough end there has to be a consequence, and sometimes that consequence will be the loss of their liberty,' he said. He declined to discuss whether bail laws in Victoria were too lenient, but confirmed he had spoken with the state government over the past week regarding further reforms. The soft edge, according to Bush, will involve widespread community and government engagement, with a focus on crime prevention. He concedes the approach will take some time. 'We come to work to make a difference, so if you're not stopping stuff before it starts, you're really just turning up after the act. There is a massive obligation on us to prevent crime and harm, and we'll be changing the way we work to make sure we do a lot more of that,' he said. During his tenure as a senior officer in New Zealand, Bush was credited with implementing a crime prevention model that helped reduce offending by 20 per cent between 2010 and 2014. Public satisfaction with policing also rose 5 points to 84 per cent at the same time. However, in Victoria he has inherited a force that is struggling to fill 1100 vacant positions, has morale issues and is expected to lose a further 300 senior officers by the end of the year, when a golden handshake deal from the previous enterprise bargaining agreement expires. Bush recognises the urgent need for more boots on the ground. 'We are going to streamline our recruitment process and make it quicker for people to come into the business. It's quite a protracted process to find resilient people who are committed to the cause, but we have to attract the right people,' he said. Loading His blueprint for retaining existing officers includes the removal of duplication of paperwork and forging a partnership with New Zealand police to bolster the force's technological capabilities. Bush has the demeanour of someone from a military background: a man who might relish cold showers, hard beds and rigorous gym sessions before dawn. He has a stern warning for Victoria's crooks. 'Bikie gangs and other organised crime groups really need to feel the heat from law enforcement. The community should not tolerate the behaviour that they bring to the state ... they need to be clearly in our sights.' He confirmed he was also reviewing the efficacy of Victoria's asset-confiscation laws. Such laws were beefed up in New Zealand when he was commissioner. Bush would not discuss Iraq-based underworld figure Kazem 'Kaz' Hamad, widely considered to be responsible for more than 100 arson attacks on tobacco outlets and several murders, other than to say that Victoria Police was working closely with global law enforcement agencies. 'Bikie gangs and other organised crime groups really need to feel the heat from law enforcement.' Mike Bush, police chief commissioner Operation Hawk – the police taskforce established after The Age 's Building Bad series exposed allegations that gangland-linked figures were receiving large payments from companies on publicly funded projects looking to gain favour with figures within the CFMEU – was also adequately resourced and making headway, according to Bush. He has been a regular visitor to Melbourne over the years and has settled in quickly. He has found an apartment in the city's inner-east, discovered new restaurants and cafes, and thrown his support behind the Richmond Football Club.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
New police chief reveals firm stance on protest permits, issues warning to organised crime
On Sunday, pro-Palestine protesters marched through the city to the National Gallery of Victoria. Security closed the entry while police monitored the rally outside. There has been fierce debate about what constitutes hate speech by attendees, who have repeatedly been heard chanting 'Death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]' and 'Death to the IOF [Israeli Occupying Force]'. Former Victorian governor Linda Dessau said last week the slogans were hate speech and that those who use them should be prosecuted. In his first interview with The Age since arriving from New Zealand, Bush also insisted he had the 'utmost confidence' in the protracted police investigation into the firebombing of a Ripponlea synagogue last December, an attack which drew international condemnation. Speaking on a wide range of issues, Bush warned that serious youth offenders would face prison if they continued to endanger community safety, that organised criminals and outlaw motorcycle gangs would 'feel the heat' under his watch and that a taskforce established to investigate underworld infiltration of the CFMEU was making progress. The 65-year-old has spent most of his first month in the top job consulting community groups and government departments, while also visiting more than a dozen stations from Warrnambool to St Kilda. Lured out of retirement by the Allan government, Bush is keenly aware of the challenges ahead but hopes to replicate his success while serving as New Zealand's police commissioner from 2014 until 2020. Restoring public trust in the force will be one of Bush's most pressing concerns, following an unprecedented slump over the past three years. Just 55 per cent of Victorians were likely to have confidence in Victoria Police, according to an annual survey released in May, which was 20 per cent lower than the previous financial year. Bush insists that figure needs to be above 80 per cent. 'We are taking that survey on the chin, we are not hiding from it, we know what we need to do,' he said. 'We have to be operationally excellent, we have to be out there preventing crime, we've got to respond properly, and our investigations have to be first-class,' he said. Bush says there needed to be a 'hard edge and a soft edge' in the response to youth crime, which has soared to the highest rates since records began, and sparked widespread community anger. 'At the hard end, there has to be a consequence, and they must know there is a consequence. They do things that risk their own lives and risk the lives and safety of others, so at the tough end there has to be a consequence, and sometimes that consequence will be the loss of their liberty,' he said. He declined to discuss whether bail laws in Victoria were too lenient, but confirmed he had spoken with the state government over the past week regarding further reforms. The soft edge, according to Bush, will involve widespread community and government engagement, with a focus on crime prevention. He concedes the approach will take some time. 'We come to work to make a difference, so if you're not stopping stuff before it starts, you're really just turning up after the act. There is a massive obligation on us to prevent crime and harm, and we'll be changing the way we work to make sure we do a lot more of that,' he said. During his tenure as a senior officer in New Zealand, Bush was credited with implementing a crime prevention model that helped reduce offending by 20 per cent between 2010 and 2014. Public satisfaction with policing also rose 5 points to 84 per cent at the same time. However, in Victoria he has inherited a force that is struggling to fill 1100 vacant positions, has morale issues and is expected to lose a further 300 senior officers by the end of the year, when a golden handshake deal from the previous enterprise bargaining agreement expires. Bush recognises the urgent need for more boots on the ground. 'We are going to streamline our recruitment process and make it quicker for people to come into the business. It's quite a protracted process to find resilient people who are committed to the cause, but we have to attract the right people,' he said. Loading His blueprint for retaining existing officers includes the removal of duplication of paperwork and forging a partnership with New Zealand police to bolster the force's technological capabilities. Bush has the demeanour of someone from a military background: a man who might relish cold showers, hard beds and rigorous gym sessions before dawn. He has a stern warning for Victoria's crooks. 'Bikie gangs and other organised crime groups really need to feel the heat from law enforcement. The community should not tolerate the behaviour that they bring to the state ... they need to be clearly in our sights.' He confirmed he was also reviewing the efficacy of Victoria's asset-confiscation laws. Such laws were beefed up in New Zealand when he was commissioner. Bush would not discuss Iraq-based underworld figure Kazem 'Kaz' Hamad, widely considered to be responsible for more than 100 arson attacks on tobacco outlets and several murders, other than to say that Victoria Police was working closely with global law enforcement agencies. 'Bikie gangs and other organised crime groups really need to feel the heat from law enforcement.' Mike Bush, police chief commissioner Operation Hawk – the police taskforce established after The Age 's Building Bad series exposed allegations that gangland-linked figures were receiving large payments from companies on publicly funded projects looking to gain favour with figures within the CFMEU – was also adequately resourced and making headway, according to Bush. He has been a regular visitor to Melbourne over the years and has settled in quickly. He has found an apartment in the city's inner-east, discovered new restaurants and cafes, and thrown his support behind the Richmond Football Club.
SBS Australia
12 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Australians trying to deliver aid to Gaza by boat intercepted by Israeli navy
A boat carrying activists, including two Australians, has been intercepted by Israeli forces, Israel's foreign ministry has confirmed. A pro-Palestinian activist group claims the crew of the vessel, dubbed Handala, is being held in "unlawful" detention after attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the vessel was carrying 21 activists, including Australian journalist Tan Safi and activist Robert Martin, when it was stopped in international waters about 40 nautical miles from Gaza. Two Australians were on board the boat, Handala, when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy. Credit: Supplied SBS News has not been able to independently verify the vessel's location at the interception point. The scene was livestreamed by the group on social media and appears to show the activists holding up their hands as soldiers board the vessel before the video feed is cut. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson confirmed the two Australians were on the vessel. "DFAT is aware two Australians were on board the Freedom Flotilla Coalition vessel Handala, along with 19 others," they said. "Our officials in Tel Aviv are liaising with authorities, and consular officers stand ready to offer assistance to affected Australians." Robert Martin is one of the two Australians who were on board the Handala as it sailed towards Gaza. Source: Getty / Anadolu The refurbished fishing boat had departed from Malmö, Sweden, aiming to breach the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza and deliver aid supplies such as baby formula, diapers, food, and medicine to Palestinians in the besieged territory. The Israeli foreign ministry said its navy had stopped the ship from "illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza". "The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe," a post on X read. "Unauthorised attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts." In a social media post prior to the boat being intercepted, Martin said the group's aim was to deliver aid to Palestinians. "We are a non-violent movement, we are delivering aid," he said. "To the world, if something happens, we were trying to shine a light on what's happening in Palestine and in particular, Gaza." In a more deadly episode in 2010, nine activists aboard a flotilla the Mavi Marmara were reportedly shot by Israeli soldiers. Five of them died.
