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On Friday, France initiated a significant airdrop of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Four flights from Jordan delivered 40 tons of food and supplies as part of an international effort to address the worsening crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the operation during a call for Israel to permit full humanitarian access, according to Reuters.
The airdrop is part of a multinational coalition that includes Jordan, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. The initiative comes amid escalating warnings from international organizations about severe malnutrition and starvation among Gaza’s 2 million residents. Humanitarian corridors remain largely restricted by Israel, with widespread reports of children dying due to hunger-related causes.
This effort highlights the international community’s struggle to address a man-made famine in Gaza, where aid deliveries must be delivered in a “safe framework” that does not support Hamas. The United States and Israel back the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), which brings food into Gaza but use aid restrictions as leverage for negotiating the release of hostages.
Israel has repeatedly rejected claims of forced starvation in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied people are starving, stating that Israel takes “thousands of prisoners” from Gaza and photographs them, noting no emaciated individuals among them.
The airdrop follows France’s announcement to formally recognize a Palestinian state, which drew condemnation from U.S. officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Other European nations have discussed or announced their intention to recognize a Palestinian state as a way to pressure Israel.
The airdrops are part of broader efforts by the French government and other European partners to continue humanitarian airlifts and exert pressure on Israel to open land routes. Macron and other Western leaders called for comprehensive humanitarian access beyond airdrops, which they described as inadequate to alleviate famine risk.
For more details:
– [President Donald Trump](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/donald-trump) expressed concern over the situation.
– U.S. State Department spokespersons have voiced support for creative efforts to relieve the crisis.
– Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, dismissed claims of deliberate starvation and accused Hamas of spreading misinformation.
Macron confirmed the operation on X, writing: “Faced with an urgent humanitarian crisis, we just conducted a food airdrop over Gaza. I thank our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, as well as our armed forces for their dedication. But airdrops are not enough. Israel must grant full humanitarian access to address the risk of famine.”
