IDF to Allow Resumed Gaza Airdrops Amid Worsening Conditions, Denies Widespread Hunger - Israel News - Haaretz.com
The Israeli military said on Friday it will allow resumed airdrops of food into Gaza in response to worsening humanitarian conditions, alongside a government decision to increase the number of aid trucks entering the territory.
The military added that Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are expected to join the airdrop effort in the coming days. Officials also plan to boost deliveries of baby formulaand hygiene supplies. Despite these steps, the military maintains that there is no widespread hunger in Gaza.
A senior defense official said the situation on the ground in Gaza differs significantly from how it is portrayed internationally, describing the global narrative as part of a Hamas-led campaign. "The situation isn't perfect, but it's far from the picture being painted abroad, and it's no coincidence this is happening during negotiations," he said.
Latest assessments by the military and the government's coordinator in the Palestinian territories found that there is no famine in the Gaza Strip. The official said that as part of ongoing negotiations for a hostage release and cease-fire deal, a new "humanitarian protocol" is being drafted, and Hamas is increasing pressure and stepping up its efforts to influence international opinion.
Palestinians raiding a food truck in Gaza City on Tuesday.Credit: Jehad Alshrafi/AP
The official added that, according to the military's information, there is no shortage of drinking water in Gaza. Officials say the main bottleneck in aid distribution, affecting food security, is not the entry of supplies into the Strip, but the way they are collected and distributed inside it.
As part of its efforts, the military is urging aid organizations to retrieve hundreds of abandoned food trucks currently sitting inside Gaza, whose contents have yet to be distributed. The military believes the effort has been successful so far, estimating that 270 of these trucks have been collected in recent days.
The senior official also said that Operation Gideon's Chariots has yielded significant results, claiming that the IDF now controls roughly three-quarters of the Gaza Strip.
As a result, the majority of Gaza's Palestinian population, more than two million people, is now concentrated in a narrow area that includes Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and the coastal zone of al-Mawasi.
Alongside the expanding military campaign, Israel's defense establishment has recently advanced several measures aimed at preventing and reducing Hamas' control over humanitarian aid.
According to the IDF, these steps have weakened Hamas' grip on the territory and severed its connection to the civilian population. Officials acknowledge that these efforts have also led to chaos, heavy casualties and widespread destruction.