The United States has launched a humanitarian mission to deliver food to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are facing acute hunger amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment.
According to the US military, three C-130 planes dropped more than 38,000 ready-to-eat meals over Gaza on Sunday, in coordination with Israel and Jordan. The White House said this was the first of a series of airdrops to provide relief to the besieged population.
However, the US airdrops have been met with skepticism and condemnation by many Palestinians and their supporters, who accuse the US of hypocrisy and complicity in the Israeli aggression.
The US has repeatedly vetoed UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 30.000 people have been martyred and more than 70,000 injured since the conflict erupted on Oct 7.
The US has also continued to supply Israel with weapons and diplomatic cover, despite international outcry over the disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza.
Critics also argue that airdrops are an inadequate and inefficient way of delivering aid, as they do not address the root causes of the humanitarian crisis, such as the Israeli blockade, the destruction of water and power facilities, and the lack of medical supplies.
Many Palestinians have expressed their gratitude to countries like Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Iran, who have sent convoys of trucks carrying food, water, medicine, and fuel to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.
They have also called on the international community to pressure the US and Israel to stop the violence and lift the siege on Gaza, which has been described by the UN as the world’s largest open-air prison.