**Air Dropped Aid: A Desperate Measure to Ease Gaza’s Hunger Crisis**
Israel has offered to allow air drops of aid into Gaza, a move that is being seen as an act of desperation. The decision comes amid growing international pressure from countries such as Britain, France, and Germany, which have urged Israel not to restrict the flow of humanitarian aid.
**A Last Resort**
Air dropping aid is considered a last resort in relief operations, even by professionals involved in humanitarian work. This method is typically used when all other options are impossible, such as when roads or borders are closed. However, Gaza is not a case where air drops are necessary due to inaccessible terrain. In fact, the Jordanian border, which is just a few hours away from Ashdod, Israel’s modern container terminal, has been used to supply aid to Gaza on a regular basis.
**The Limitations of Air Dropped Aid**
Even large transport planes cannot carry as much aid as convoys of lorries. Moreover, pallets dropped by parachutes often land far away from the people in need. In densely crowded areas like Gaza’s southern coast, where hundreds and thousands of Palestinians are forced to live in small tents due to Israel’s restrictions, there is no clear space for air drops to be effective.
**A Symbolic Gesture**
Air dropping aid can look good on TV and create a perception that something is being done. However, it does not deliver much in terms of actual aid. The reality is that only a ceasefire and a long-term, unrestricted aid operation can achieve the desired outcome. As experienced journalist Jeremy Bowen notes, “In Iraqi Kurdistan, after the 1991 Gulf War, the US, UK, and others dropped aid, mainly army rations and sleeping bags…I watched British and American pilots drop aid thousands of feet above those who needed it.”
**A Desperate Measure to Appease Allies**
The Israeli government’s decision to allow air drops is likely a desperate measure to appease its allies, rather than a genuine effort to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The international community has been warning Israel about the need to allow unrestricted aid into Gaza, and this move may be an attempt to placate critics.
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