US military to airdrop humanitarian aid into Gaza

The administration had been debating the move, but the “final impetus” came Thursday after Palestinians were killed while trying to receive emergency aid.

The move to conduct airdrops comes a day after the deaths of dozens of Palestinians scrambling for aid in Gaza, prompting a fresh push for a cease-fire and renewed criticism of Israel. | Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. will airdrop humanitarian aid into Gaza in the coming days, amid tense negotiations for a pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas, President Joe Biden announced Friday.

The mission is designed to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza as Palestinians struggle to get food, water, medicine and other aid during the Israel-Hamas war in the enclave.

Biden, who made the announcement alongside Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, complained that Israel didn’t allow enough aid to enter Gaza.

“The truth is, aid flowing into Gaza is nowhere nearly enough now. It’s nowhere nearly enough. Innocent lives are on the line and children’s lives are on the line,” he said. “We should be getting hundreds of trucks in, not just several.”

Speaking of the airdrops, Biden added, “we’re going to pull out every stop we can.” The president also occasionally said “Ukraine” when he meant to say “Gaza” regarding the location of the airdrops.

A senior administration official told POLITICO that discussions about the need for airdrops intensified over the past couple of weeks as the humanitarian situation worsened. But Thursday’s events, in which dozens of Palestinians were killed while scrambling for aid in Gaza, prompted Friday’s announcement, the official said. “The final impetus was yesterday. It was very clear we need to be doing more than convoys.”

The official, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday that humanitarian airdrops are dangerous missions, not only for the aircraft and crew, but also for the people receiving aid.

“There’s few military operations that are more complicated than humanitarian assistance airdrops. This is a tough military mission,” the retired rear admiral said. “This will be part of a sustained effort, and with each one, we’ll learn and we’ll get better at them.”

“The need is much more acute here in recent weeks, and we want to answer that. We still want to get the ground movement increased. But, obviously, we just haven’t been able to meet the need,” Kirby continued, noting the first drops would likely be meals, ready-to-eat.

Gazan health officials say that Israeli troops fired into the crowd, killing more than 100 people and injuring some 700 more. The U.S. is working to broker a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that could see fighting pause for six weeks.

A Pentagon spokesperson could not immediately provide additional details about when the airdrops would occur, what aircraft would be used or what type of aid would be provided. But a DOD official did say the airdrops are expected to be part of a “sustained effort” to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has called on the Biden administration to change its approach toward the war, demanded the administration begin airdrops as soon as possible. “The United States must immediately begin to airdrop food, water, and other lifesaving supplies into Gaza,” he said in a written statement Friday afternoon.

Sanders also demanded Israel open its borders to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza — and said the U.S. should make clear that “failure to do so immediately will lead to a fundamental break in the U.S.-Israeli relationship and the immediate halt of all military aid.”

“While an airdrop will buy time and save lives, there is no substitute for sustained ground deliveries of what is needed to sustain life in Gaza. Israel MUST open the borders and allow the United Nations to deliver supplies in sufficient quantities,” he said.

Former humanitarian officials still have questions about how the U.S. will do this. Dave Harden, who distributed assistance while at the United States Agency for International Development, said high-altitude drops can be dangerous to civilians while low-altitude drops can be perilous for the aircraft and crew. They are also no substitutes for pushing Israel to allow more aid to flow through entry points.

“Air drops are a bad idea, unlikely to blunt the tragedy in Gaza, and likely to create more risk for the US and civilians in Gazans. The Biden administration senior officials know this risk. Air drops are a symbol of massive failure,” he posted on social media.

As the idea gained steam over recent days, analysts noted aircraft can’t carry as many materials as a convoy of trucks or ships.

Biden did not temper expectations for a temporary cease-fire, saying that talks were ongoing to strike a deal that might free the remaining Israeli hostages and halt the fighting for perhaps as long as six weeks.

The president this week expressed hope that a temporary pause in the fighting could start as early as Monday. Those comments came on the eve of the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan, home to a significant Muslim population that sent Biden a message when more than 100,000 people — roughly 13 percent of the primary electorate — voted uncommitted.

Biden, whose initial support for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in particular upset Arab Americans, has made a point more recently of speaking more forcefully and frequently about the carnage in Gaza.

He called Israel’s response “over the top” on Feb. 8 and sent senior officials to meet with Arab community leaders in Michigan last month, but this week’s primary results show that the continued fighting in Gaza still presents a political liability for the president.

Source: Politico