Humanitarian Aid Drop Kills 5 People in Gaza

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Officials from the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed Friday morning that a parcel delivering aid in Northern Gaza killed five people. The parachute on the package failed to deploy correctly and sent it careening down. Two young boys were among those killed and 11 more were left injured. 

Defense officials from the U.S. told CBS they are not responsible for this accident but more investigation is needed to have a definitive answer. Several countries dropped aid on Friday alongside the U.S. including Egypt, Jordan, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Famine and malnutrition are growing issues the aid is attempting to address.  

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Gaza has warned that children are dying of hunger. At least 20 children have died of starvation as of March 6. The UN says the most effective way to deliver aid is by truck. Trucks can carry a higher volume of supplies, about 10 times more than airdrops. Many of the drops contain ready-made meals while trucks can supply ingredients like flour. 

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Getting aid into Gaza has proved challenging. The southern crossing from Egypt is the main land entry in the region. This makes getting aid to the people in Northern Gaza difficult. Recent UN efforts include advocating for a safe access road to the north. 

During his State of the Union Address, President Biden announced that the U.S. in collaboration with allies, will create a maritime corridor to increase aid to the region. “Tonight I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza,” the President said during Thursday’s address. The type of aid expected is food, medicine, and temporary shelter. 

Rising Palestinian Death Toll, Demands for Ceasefire

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, more than 30,800 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Children represent at least 12,000 of those who have lost their lives. 

There have been ongoing talks to establish a ceasefire before the month of Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, March 10. Hamas delegations left Cairo after Senior official Sami Abu Zuhri said Israel has “thwarted” efforts to enact a ceasefire. 

Negotiations are hopeful to include the return of all Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians currently being held in Israeli prisons. Hamas says this would be impossible without a ceasefire because hostages are spread throughout the active warzone. 
Despite negotiations coming to a standstill once again, U.S. Department of State Spokesman Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that “the obstacles are not surmountable.”