Israel: 126 pallets of aid supplies dropped over Gaza Strip

According to the Berlin Ministry of Defence, German aircraft dropped 34 pallets containing almost 14 tons of food and medical equipment over the sealed-off coastal area on the Mediterranean.

Airdrops of relief supplies are not without controversy: according to Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), they are at least 100 times more expensive than transporting the same amount of goods by land. In addition, trucks can transport much larger quantities.

According to the UN, there is a threat of famine in the Gaza Strip. Israel controls all access to the area and has not allowed any or only a few aid deliveries to pass through for several months in order to increase the pressure on the Islamist Hamas. Since Sunday, Israel has again allowed larger aid deliveries by land and airdrops.