Biden announced humanitarian aid for residents of Gaza
Photo: US President Joe Biden (Getty Images)
President of the United States Joe Biden announced humanitarian aid to Gaza via military aircraft after more than a hundred people tragically died in a queue for food on Thursday, February 29, reports Reuters.
Biden stated that aid from the United States will arrive soon but did not provide any details. Meanwhile, Jordan and France have already offered assistance to Gaza. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 576,000 residents of the Gaza Strip, which is a quarter of its population, are on the brink of starvation.
Medical facilities in Gaza reported that Israeli forces killed over 100 people when they attempted to reach a convoy with humanitarian aid on Thursday morning.
Israel has blamed the majority of deaths on the crowds, claiming that the victims were trampled or run over around the trucks carrying humanitarian aid. An anonymous Israeli official stated that the military opened fire in response to a threat from the crowd.
Due to people being forced to consume animal feed and cacti, and with doctors reporting the deaths of children in hospitals from malnutrition and dehydration, the UN faces "insurmountable obstacles" in providing assistance, as stated in the report.
Additionally, retired US Air Force General David Deptula remarked that airborne landings are a "strength of the US military." According to him, while there are challenges in the details, there is nothing insurmountable.
It's worth noting that since October 7, 2023, a war has been ongoing between Israel and the Hamas group. Hamas militants launched attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of over 1200 civilians and soldiers in the initial days of the conflict, along with the kidnapping of approximately 250 people.
In late October, the Israel Defense Forces initiated a ground military operation in the Gaza Strip to completely destroy Hamas and free hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the imminent achievement of a total victory and readiness for a ground invasion towards the city of Rafah near the border with Egypt.
Egypt threatens to terminate the peace treaty with Israel if its army invades Rafah. Israel, in turn, threatens to advance into Rafah if Hamas does not release the hostages of Ramadan.
