Israel-Hamas war: assistance drop in Gaza results in a parachute failing, leaving five dead and several wounded

NEW DELHI: A pallet from a humanitarian airdrop landed into a crowd of people waiting for food when the parachute failed to deploy on Friday, killing five civilians and injuring a number of others in the Shati refugee camp north of Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera.
In response to the attack, the official media office in Gaza acknowledged the number of victims.

The airdrops were met with criticism, labeled “useless” and reduced to “flashy propaganda rather than humanitarian service.” The government agency argued that food should be sent over land borders instead.
“We previously warned that it poses a threat to the lives of citizens in the Gaza Strip, and this is what happened today when the parcels fell on the citizens’ heads,” the organization stated in a statement.
A severe situation in Gaza was brought to light by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs last month. They said that at least 500,000 people, or one in four of Gaza’s population, were in danger of starvation.
The latest executions highlighted the difficulties in delivering crucial humanitarian goods to Gaza despite Israeli restrictions against the backdrop of this dire catastrophe. According to Al Jazeera, the event highlighted the challenges relief agencies face in providing critically needed goods. As per UNRWA, the primary UN organization functioning in Gaza, since January 23, Israeli authorities have prohibited supplies from being sent to the northern section of the strip.
On Tuesday, the World Food Programme said that armed troops had forced their first convoy attempt in the last two weeks to turn around.
The group decided to stop its distribution activities in Gaza due to security concerns. As a result, many countries have turned to airdrops to supply supplies, including Egypt, the US, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Relief groups, however, have expressed concerns, characterizing these initiatives as expensive and inefficient ways to provide food and medical supplies.
A widespread famine in the Gaza Strip is “almost inevitable,” the UN claims, if nothing is done.
Food shortages in the enclave, which has been under Israeli siege and assaults since October 7, are attributed by aid agencies to continuous military operations, unrest, and significant obstacles to the transfer of necessary supplies, according to Al Jazeera.
Over 30,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza during the five-month battle, according to health authorities there.