The United States, for the first time, conducted an airdrop of aid over Gaza on Saturday in an attempt to alleviate the escalating humanitarian crisis. Here are the key points you need to know about the aid drop operations in the region:
- The airdrop included 38,000 meals: These were dropped from three U.S. C-130 aircraft in 66 bundles along the coast of Gaza, according to the U.S. Central Command, in a joint effort with the Jordanian military. The White House stated that more aid is to follow, and a senior administration official noted that the U.S. observed civilians approaching and distributing some of the aid.
- The United States is the latest among several countries to conduct aid drops: Previously, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and France have delivered humanitarian supplies via air drops. The Jordanian military indicated that Jordanian aircraft conducted two additional airdrop missions as part of the U.S. mission on Saturday.
- Coordination with Israel is crucial: Israel controls the airspace over Gaza, so any efforts to drop aid require coordination with Israeli authorities.
