Jordanian crew delivers lifeline from Gaza skies to civilians
Jordan and UAE airdrop aid over Gaza amid widening famine
Operation details
- The Royal Jordanian Air Force C‑130 Hercules, crew of eight, launched from Amman’s King Abdullah II airbase.
- Packages contained sugar, pulses, baby milk, stamped with the Jordanian flag.
- Two UAE planes joined, all overflying Gaza for just a few minutes before descending.
Visual impact and crew sentiment
- Parachutes unfurled, crates drifted toward devastated neighborhoods at 2,000 ft.
- Captain and pilot whispered prayers and noted ground observers tracking the flight.
- Captions described a “tragic and very sad scene” as entire sectors were razed.
International context
- Israel halted all aid into Gaza in March, allowing limited quantities only in late May.
- King Abdullah II called the situation the worst “humanitarian catastrophe” in modern history.
- UN‑backed experts warned that a “worst‑case scenario” famine had begun and could not be reversed without immediate, unimpeded access.
UN agencies’ urgent call
WFP, UNICEF and FAO stressed that Gaza was “on the brink of a full‑scale famine.” The WFP executive director Cindy McCain urged a “flood of large‑scale food aid” every day to prevent mass starvation.
Israel’s pause for aid
Facing intense international pressure, Israel announced a daytime pause in hostilities in certain areas for humanitarian purposes, hoping to ease the blockade.
