Egypt Daily News – In a significant policy shift, the Israeli government has announced that it will permit the airdrop of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip starting Friday. This decision, disclosed by Israel’s Army Radio, comes amid mounting international pressure and a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave, where civilians face extreme shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies.
According to Israeli media reports, the move allows foreign countries, including Arab nations to carry out humanitarian airdrops over Gaza. A senior Israeli security source confirmed that the measure was approved at the political level, naming Jordan and the United Arab Emirates as the first two countries slated to participate.
This development follows stalled efforts by the United Nations to distribute aid accumulated at border crossings, particularly via American-supported distribution points. Israeli sources claim that the airdrop alternative emerged after UN efforts to transfer aid through land routes were repeatedly blocked or delayed, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
A high-ranking Israeli official told Fox News that discussions regarding aerial aid drops began approximately three weeks ago, involving three regional countries. One of these nations, he revealed, has already committed to proceeding with airdrops. The talks aimed to identify viable alternatives to overland deliveries, which have been rendered ineffective due to logistical challenges and ongoing hostilities.
The airdrop decision comes as Gaza confronts an escalating public health emergency. On Thursday, international relief agency Oxfam issued a stark warning that waterborne diseases are surging at an alarming rate in the territory, driven by Israel’s blockade and the collapse of sanitation infrastructure.
According to Oxfam, outbreaks of acute jaundice, watery diarrhea, and bloody diarrhea have risen by 101%, 150%, and 302% respectively over the past three months. These conditions, the organization warned, could prove deadly given the widespread hunger, lack of access to clean water, and the near-total collapse of medical services.
The group emphasized that the figures likely underestimate the full scale of the crisis, noting that most of Gaza’s two million residents cannot reach the few health facilities still operating. Oxfam also reminded the international community that since March 2, Israel has maintained a total blockade of Gaza, cutting off the entry of humanitarian aid. Relief organizations have reported that their warehouses are now empty.
“This is no longer a humanitarian crisis in waiting,” the organization said. “It is a rapidly unfolding disaster, one that risks becoming a mass-casualty event if urgent action is not taken.”
Simultaneously, Gaza’s Ministry of Health issued an urgent humanitarian appeal, imploring the international community and aid organizations to intervene immediately. The ministry cited the collapse of the healthcare system and called for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further deterioration.
Since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, Gaza has been engulfed in one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies in its history. The ongoing conflict with Israel has devastated infrastructure, displaced hundreds of thousands, and left large segments of the population without adequate shelter, food, or medical care.
Hospitals in the strip are now grappling with a near-total depletion of medical supplies, and their diagnostic and treatment capabilities are on the brink of collapse. Healthcare workers, overwhelmed and under-resourced, are operating under extreme conditions, often without electricity, fuel, or basic medications.
As global attention intensifies on Gaza’s worsening plight, the approval of airdropped aid may offer temporary relief—but experts and humanitarian agencies stress that only a sustained ceasefire and full access to humanitarian corridors can meaningfully address the crisis.
For now, with supplies dwindling and disease spreading rapidly, every hour counts.
