Thousands of Palestinians from the southern Gaza Strip gathered on the shore after planes dropped food aid.
Although some of the aid dropped Tuesday landed in the sea, people waded into the water to try to recover it while others boarded small boats.
The Gaza Strip’s residents, numbering around 2.3 million, face dire circumstances, with food supplies increasingly scarce. Israel’s blockade of the enclave prevents aid from entering northern Gaza, while only trickle deliveries are distributed to the rest of the territory.
Famine is “imminent” in northern Gaza, the World Food Program has warned. Aid agencies report they have been unable to deliver supplies there since January 23, as Israel continues its five-month war against the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
As aid agencies struggle to cope, other organizations have appealed for help. The aid was dropped on Tuesday with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan participating.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths wrote to the Security Council last week calling on its members to act to prohibit “the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare.”
Nearly two million Palestinians have been displaced within the territory, subject to the Israeli blockade for 17 years.
Increasing malnutrition among children and pregnant and lactating women poses a serious health threat, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on February 19.
Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas on October 7. Nearly 30,000 people are believed to have been killed to date.
About 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. There are serious shortages of drinking water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide before the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to end acts of genocide and take steps to ensure humanitarian aid is provided to civilians in Gaza.
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