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Israel will resume airdrops of humanitarian aid over Gaza on Saturday evening, the Israeli military said, after urgent alerts from more than 100 aid agencies regarding worsening hunger in the blockaded enclave.
Under a military statement released late Saturday, the airdrops will contain seven pallets of sugar, flour, and canned items donated by international organizations. The military also reported that humanitarian corridors to United Nations convoys will be opened, although no time frame or locations were given.
The action follows heightened global anxiety about deteriorating hunger conditions in Gaza, with growing numbers of reports of starvation deaths. Experts have long been warning of the threat of famine and a number of hundred Palestinians have recently died attempting to reach aid, reportedly.
Even with plans for aid, Israel’s military reiterated that military operations against Hamas in Gaza will go on unabated. It also said it is willing to institute humanitarian pauses in densely populated neighborhoods for the purposes of delivering aid. The military dismissed reports that there is starvation in Gaza, opposite what humanitarian agencies on the ground are reporting.
The statement comes amidst mounting pressure from global players, such as Canada, calling for emergency steps to avert further humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
