UAE, Jordan conduct joint aid air drops over Gaza
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The UAE and Jordan have carried out a series of humanitarian air drop missions over the Gaza Strip, delivering much-needed food and relief supplies to civilians trapped in areas that remain inaccessible by land.
According to the UAE’s official news agency WAM, the Emirates conducted its 54th humanitarian and relief air drop on Sunday. The mission is part of “the UAE’s continuing efforts to support civilians in isolated areas of the Strip that are inaccessible by land”, the statement said.
Jordan also carried out three air drops, including a joint mission with the UAE, as reported by the state-run Petra news agency. The operations were conducted using C-130 aircraft from the UAE Air Force and the Royal Jordanian Air Force, delivering a total of 25 tonnes of humanitarian and food aid.
The air missions come amid a new development on the ground; Israel has announced a “tactical pause” in military operations in three densely populated areas of Gaza, including Gaza City, Deir Al Balah and Al Mawasi. The pause will take place daily from 10am to 8pm starting Sunday, “to increase the scale of humanitarian aid” entering the territory.
The move follows mounting international criticism over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, now in its 21st month of war. Aid groups have reported rising hunger levels across the enclave and the Gaza Health Ministry said 133 people, including 87 children, have died from malnutrition so far. On Saturday, a five-month-old baby, Zainab Abu Haleeb, died at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis due to malnutrition, according to health workers.
Efforts to increase humanitarian access also included the Egyptian Red Crescent, which sent over 100 lorries carrying more than 1,200 metric tonnes of food through the Karam Abu Salem crossing on Sunday.
Last week, 25 countries, including France, the UK and Canada condemned what they called the “drip feeding of aid” into Gaza, calling Israel’s restrictions “unacceptable".
Israel maintains that it is committed to allowing aid while preventing its diversion by militants. It blames Hamas for the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, while ceasefire talks with the group have stalled.
UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the announced pause, stating on X, “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 added that humanitarian conditions in Gaza are “already catastrophic” and worsening each day. The UN has said it is prepared to scale up aid if Israel allows entry of fuel, equipment and safe access for humanitarian workers.
