Food and medicine – The US begins dropping relief supplies over Gaza

Joe Biden had announced a few hours earlier at the White House that they would join forces with Jordan and other countries in the coming days and airdrop more food and aid supplies. John Kirby, communications director for the White House National Security Council, said the food would be cut first, but did not give a specific date.

Aid deliveries from the sea are also planned
Jordan has been dropping aid supplies for the civilian population since November, as has Egypt for a few days. It is said that the flights over the Gaza Strip are coordinated with Israel. The US would also consider delivering aid from the sea, as Kirby explained on Friday.

The dropped food or medicine brings some relief to the need, especially in areas that – such as the northern Gaza Strip – are difficult or impossible to reach with aid deliveries by land. However, UN organizations point out that the quantities of goods that can be delivered via airdrops are quite small.

Biden hopes for a ceasefire before Ramadan
The US government has been criticizing the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza for weeks and calling for a ceasefire. Together with Egypt and Qatar, Washington is mediating between the Islamist Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire. The objectives are to release the hostages into the hands of Hamas and to improve aid delivery. Biden hopes for a new ceasefire before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. “I hope so, we are still working very hard on it.”

Hostage negotiations face new problems
Meanwhile, Israel’s indirect negotiations with Hamas over a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages held by the Islamists are facing new difficulties, according to media reports. The reason: Israel does not want to participate in a new round of talks between Egypt, Qatar and the US as long as Hamas does not provide a list of the hostages still alive, the news portal ‘Axios’ reported on Friday. evening.