France launched emergency airdrops of 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Friday, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot acknowledging the supplies remain "dangerously insufficient" against Israel’s suffocating siege. The aid, flown from Jordan in four 10-tonne shipments includes nutritional supplements and medical kits but addresses less than 0.1% of Gaza’s daily caloric needs. President Emmanuel Macron stressed airdrops "cannot replace land access," demanding Israel open crossings to prevent famine. The move follows UN reports confirming 1,373 Palestinians killed while seeking aid since May, most shot by Israeli forces.
Twelve Palestinians, including a two-year-old boy who succumbed to severe malnutrition, were killed in Israeli attacks during the aid operation. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 154 starvation deaths since October, 89 of them children with hospitals documenting infants "without muscle tissue, just skin over bone". Despite Israel permitting 200 aid trucks daily, UN agencies emphasize 500+ are needed to reverse famine conditions impacting 500,000 Palestinians. Israel’s blockade has destroyed 92% of Gaza’s homes and 84% of health facilities, leaving 85% of the population displaced in squalid tent camps.
While Trump called Gaza’s hunger crisis "terrible," his administration continues arming Israel and vetoing ceasefires. A poll reveals 47% of Israelis deny the famine exists, dismissing it as "Hamas propaganda," while 44% of those acknowledging it express indifference. In Paris, thousands protested Netanyahu’s policies, stomping on his image and demanding sanctions. These demonstrations align with Amnesty International’s genocide designation, which cites Israel’s "intent to physically destroy Palestinians" through weaponized starvation and mass displacement.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) maintains arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC jurisdiction obligates 124 member states to detain them if they travel abroad. Simultaneously, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) genocide case forces Israel to report monthly on aid access, a ruling Israel violates by blocking 60% of UN aid shipments. South Africa’s case before the ICJ documents Israel’s systematic "extermination" via bombing, starvation, and medical deprivation.
France’s aid joins EU airlifts totaling 3,350 tonnes since October 2023, yet Israel blocks 40% of these supplies at Egyptian crossings. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-backed initiative faces condemnation for militarizing aid distribution, with Israeli snipers killing 851 Palestinians near its sites since May. UN relief coordinator Bob Kitchen warns: "Gaza’s entire population relies on aid, yet Israel’s restrictions guarantee starvation". With 20% of Gazans now in catastrophic hunger, Macron’s "symbolic drops" underscore Western complicity in Palestine’s annihilation.