Israeli airdrops of humanitarian aid turned deadly Saturday when pallets struck tents near al-Rasheed Road in northern Gaza, wounding 11 displaced Palestinians. Witnesses described aid packages landing perilously close to Israeli military positions rather than accessible civilian areas, with one pallet crashing directly onto shelters housing famine-stricken families. The incident occurred hours after Israel announced renewed aerial deliveries with Jordan and UAE participation, a move UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned as a "grotesque distraction" that risks killing starving civilians. "Airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation," Lazzarini stressed, demanding instead that Israel "lift the siege, open the gates, and guarantee safe movement".
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported five new starvation deaths Saturday, bringing the total to 127 malnutrition fatalities, including 85 children since Israel imposed a total aid blockade on March 2. Hospitals overflow with emaciated patients, while Médecins Sans Frontières revealed severe malnutrition rates among children under five tripled in two weeks. A northern Gaza clinic now screens over 1,000 malnourished patients weekly, with mothers describing infants "slapping themselves from hunger" after failed aid queues. Despite Israeli claims of "no starvation," UN agencies confirm only 28 aid trucks enter daily, down from 500 pre-war leaving 900,000 Gazans dependent on contaminated water since Israel shut Gaza’s sole desalination plant in March.
France’s pledge to recognize Palestinian statehood in September has galvanized global pressure, with 28 nations condemning Israel’s aid restrictions last week. UK Labour ministers Angela Rayner and Yvette Cooper now push Prime Minister Keir Starmer to join France, while Canada and Australia accused Israel of causing a "rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster". The backlash follows revelations that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) analysis found no evidence of systematic Hamas aid theft, contradicting Israel’s justification for blocking land convoys. Humanitarian groups universally dismiss airdrops as inadequate, noting a single C-130 plane carries just 14 tons of aid versus 25 tons per truck.
The aid crisis worsened as U.S.-mediated ceasefire talks collapsed Friday, with President Donald Trump declaring Hamas "wants to die" and Netanyahu vowing "alternative measures". Overnight, Israeli strikes killed 25 Palestinians, including nine in Gaza City bombings confirmed by civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal. Since March, Israel has blocked nearly all food and medicine, with Defense Minister Israel Katz admitting starvation is intentional policy: "Blocking aid is one of the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool". Far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir denounced even limited aid resumption as "surrender," exposing internal Israeli divisions.