Detractors deemed Biden’s humanitarian airdrop into Gaza to be “inadequate”; Airstrikes by Israel claim 17 Palestinian lives

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli airstrikes on three residences in Deir al-Balah and Jabalia have resulted in at least 17 Palestinian deaths and several injuries.

Many of the wounded from Thursday’s Israeli raid on Palestinians waiting for food delivery suffered bullet wounds, according to a UN delegation. Eighty percent of the injured transported to al-Awda Hospital, according to the hospital’s director, had been shot, Al Jazeera said.

According to The Guardian, in response to UN hunger warnings and after Israeli forces opened fire on Gazans requesting food help, US President Joe Biden said that the US will begin airdropping food and emergency supplies into Gaza in the coming days.

The report stated that although airdrops are a visually striking but ineffective method of providing aid, Biden’s statement on Friday implies that he had given up on convincing Israel to organize a massive ground-based relief effort in the near future, despite the possibility of widespread starvation in Gaza.

Critics said that it was really a token gesture that hid Biden’s unwillingness to utilize US power to pressure Israel to cooperate more in the distribution of humanitarian goods.

The International Rescue Committee assistance organization said, “Airdrops are not the solution to relieve this suffering and distract time and effort from proven solutions to help at scale,” as reported by The Guardian. “Ensuring Israel lifts its siege of Gaza should be the sole diplomatic priority.”

During a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House, Biden said, “The loss of life is heartbreaking.” “You watched the reaction when they attempted to bring assistance in, and it made you realize how desperate people are—innocent individuals imprisoned in a horrible conflict with no way to support their families.