Four Egyptian military transport aircraft took off on Thursday, loaded with loaded with tons of food aid intended for air-drop operations over areas in Gaza that are difficult to access by land.
This crucial intervention aims to ease the severe living conditions and critical shortage of humanitarian supplies faced by the Strip’s residents.
These air-drops are happening concurrently with the continuous delivery of aid by land.
This follows upon directives from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to provide all forms of support to the Palestinian people in their current plight, and comes as part of Egypt’s active, intensive coordination with all international powers to alleviate the escalating tragedy within the Gaza Strip.
Egypt’s contribution accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total aid provided since the crisis began.
The official spokesperson for the Egyptian government, Mohamed al-Homsany, told the Al Hadath Channel that 35,000 aid trucks have entered Gaza since October 7, 2023, and specifically 4,500 tons of aid were brought in over the past four days.
He emphasized that Egypt’s role in assisting the people of Gaza cannot be questioned, and he rejected what he called “systematic campaigns” aimed at doubting Egypt’s commitment to Gaza.
The spokesperson stressed that Egypt’s efforts in aiding the Gaza Strip are clear and undeniable, and the Rafah crossing, from the Egyptian side, remains open and has not been closed.
Egypt’s air-drop initiatives come amidst broader regional and international efforts to alleviate the crisis, with countries like the UAE, Jordan, France, Spain, and Germany also conducting or planning similar air-drop missions from hubs like Jordan.
Despite these efforts, humanitarian organizations and medical professionals, including the World Food Program, continue to warn that air-drops alone are insufficient to meet the immense needs of Gaza’s population and cannot replace consistent land access.
They emphasize that the load carried by a single plane often doesn’t exceed that of a single truck, and that air-drops can sometimes pose dangers to civilians attempting to collect the aid.
