AdvertisementAdvertisementAn aircraft airdrops humanitarian aid over Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, May 30, 2024. (Photo: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)27 Jul 2025 05:32AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST JERUSALEM: The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Saturday (Jul 26) that planned airdrops of aid into the Gaza Strip would not solve severe food shortages caused by months of restrictions on the entry of supplies."Airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation. They are expensive, inefficient & can even kill starving civilians," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X, calling the wave of hunger affecting Gaza "manmade".An Israeli official told AFP on Friday that aid drops in Gaza would resume soon, adding they would be conducted by the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.The humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory has gravely deteriorated in recent days, with international NGOs warning of soaring malnutrition among children."Lift the siege, open the gates & guarantee safe movements + dignified access to people in need," Lazzarini said, referring to the various entry points under Israeli control that regulate access into Gaza.USAID analysis finds no evidence of widespread Hamas theft of Gaza aidCrush at Gaza aid site kills at least 20, US-backed group blames armed agitatorsUS-backed Gaza aid group halts distribution, UN calls model 'recipe for disaster'Israel imposed a total blockade on the entry of aid into Gaza on Mar 2 after talks to extend a ceasefire broke down. It began to allow a trickle of aid to enter again in late May.The UN and NGOs on the ground have decried the severe scarcity facing Gaza's 2.4 million people, with shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel.Israel's military said Friday that the country did "not limit the number of trucks going into the Gaza Strip", and that humanitarian organisations and the UN were not collecting the aid once it was inside the territory.Humanitarian organisations accuse the Israeli army of imposing excessive restrictions on the goods allowed into Gaza and on the routes made available to transport the aid to distribution points.The United Arab Emirates, Jordan, France and other countries carried out airdrops in Gaza in 2024, at a time when the transport of aid on land routes also faced restrictions.Many in the humanitarian community consider such drops to be ineffective and dangerous due to the relatively small volumes of deliveries and the risk of aid seekers being killed by landing crates, as has previously happened in Gaza.Source: AFP/fsSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST