US C-130 warplanes parachuted nearly 38,000 meals over the Gaza Strip today in the first wave of emergency humanitarian aid authorized by United States President Joe Biden, officials said.
The food aid, the sources recalled, arrived in Gaza two days after more than 110 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army while boarding aid trucks.
Three Central Air Force planes dropped 66 parcels containing about 38,000 food items into Gaza, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity before making a public statement.
The distribution is expected to be the first of many announced Friday by Biden. The assistance will be coordinated with Jordan, which has also delivered food to the Gaza Strip.
At least 115 Palestinians were killed and hundreds of others were wounded in Thursday’s attack as they tried to get aid, the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip said.
Israel says many of those killed were the victims of crowds that created a chaotic atmosphere as they searched for food aid, while troops fired warning shots after many came dangerously close to Israeli military positions.
On Friday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said airdrops were in the planning stages to safely deliver emergency humanitarian aid to people on the ground.
The C-130 cargo aircraft is an aircraft often used to deliver aid to remote locations due to its ability to land in harsh environments and its payload capacity.
The S-130 can carry up to 19 tons of cargo.
Crews are very knowledgeable about assembling cargo, which can sometimes even include vehicles, into huge pallets that can be parachuted safely into the rear of the plane.
Air Force loadmasters secure packages onto pallets with nets that are prepared to be released from the back of a C-130 by parachute when the aircraft reaches its intended delivery area.
In recent years, the U.S. Air Force C-130 has been used to airdrop humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti and elsewhere.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, Israeli troops have banned the entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies, except for a small amount of aid arriving south from Egypt through the border crossing. Rafah and Kerem Shalom, to Israel.
A quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million people face hunger, according to the UN.
Aid officials said airdrops were not an effective means of distributing aid and were only a last resort.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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