At least 12 Palestinians tragically drowned on Monday while attempting to retrieve humanitarian aid dropped into the Mediterranean Sea off the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is administered by Hamas.
The aid packages fell into the Mediterranean off the coast of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, as reported by various media outlets. Additionally, six other Palestinians lost their lives in a stampede while trying to reach the aid. Gaza’s government media office, also under Hamas control, stated that some of the aid fell into the sea, some landed inside Israel, and some dropped in war zones.
“These airdrops of aid present a significant danger to the lives of vulnerable Palestinians,” stated Gaza’s government media office, as reported by Anadolu Agency. “This situation puts people’s lives at risk.”
The responsible country for the airdrops remains unknown. However, CNN reported that the U.S., Egypt, Germany, Great Britain, Singapore, and a joint United Arab Emirates-Jordanian mission conducted airdrops over Gaza on Monday.
Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary for the Pentagon, addressed the situation during a briefing on Tuesday. She mentioned that since March 2, U.S. Central Command has carried out 17 assistance airdrops into Gaza, delivering over eight tons of food items such as rice, flour, pasta, and canned food.
Singh emphasized the priority of safety in planning these airdrops. She noted that during Monday’s humanitarian airdrop, which included around 80 bundles, three bundles experienced parachute malfunctions and landed in the water.
“It is important to note that drop zones are selected to minimize potential parachute deployment failures,” Singh explained. “These humanitarian aid drops take place over water, and the wind causes the bundles to drift towards land. In the event of a parachute malfunction, the bundles end up in the water.”
Israel has faced accusations of imposing stringent restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, leading to concerns about a potential famine. However, the U.S. has reportedly received written assurance from Israel that it is not obstructing humanitarian aid. Additionally, the U.S. military is working to establish a temporary maritime corridor for humanitarian assistance, which could become operational within the coming weeks, according to information from the Pentagon.
