Berlin [Germany], March 17: Germany delivered its first aid supplies for Gaza by parachute on Saturday after joining other countries in a humanitarian mission to the embattled Palestinian
territory.
Four tonnes of rice, flour and other food were dropped from a military C-130 Hercules transport aircraft over the north of the Gaza Strip.
The next delivery is scheduled for Sunday.
"We delivered the four pallets with pinpoint accuracy from an altitude of around 1,000 metres," the German Air Force wrote on X, formerly Twitter. On Wednesday, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius gave the go-ahead for the mission to the Gaza Strip.
Germany deployed two C-130 aircraft stationed in France to the region. Each can transport up to 18 tonnes of cargo and will operate out of Jordan, which initiated the airdrops. The United States and France are also taking part in the initiative.
However, opinions are divided in Gaza about the usefulness of the airdrops, which can be hazardous for the population. A week ago, a pallet whose parachute failed to open killed five people. In another instance, dropped goods reportedly fell in an active combat zone.
Authorities in Gaza have called the airdrops "futile" due to the relatively small volumes of food delivered. Many residents are also simply unable to access the areas where the supplies land.
One aircraft load, which is brought to its destination at great expense, is roughly equivalent to the amount that a truck can transport.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called for a swift ceasefire in the Gaza war as he prepared to visit the crisis-ridden region.
Source: Qatar Tribune
