The delivery of food aid to Gaza by Israel through airdrops is being criticized as ineffective by Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Lazzarini dismissed the airlift strategy, urging Israel to lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip, a region with a dense population. His comments followed a report from the UN’s food program that highlighted malnutrition affecting 90,000 Palestinian women and children. “Airdrops do not address the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza. They are costly, inefficient, and dangerous, potentially harming those they aim to help.
It’s a distraction,” Lazzarini wrote on social media, adding, “This hunger crisis requires political action to resolve.” He called for Israel to remove the blockade and allow humanitarian aid workers unimpeded access. “We have about 6,000 trucks stationed in Jordan and Egypt, ready to deliver aid into Gaza once we receive approval,” he stated. “Transporting aid by land is simpler, more efficient, less costly, and much safer. It preserves the dignity of the people in Gaza,” he explained. The Israeli military reported on Saturday that it had deployed seven pallets filled with flour, sugar, canned goods, and other essentials. They committed to ensuring safe passage for UN aid convoys, indicating that “local humanitarian pauses” might be considered.
Video shared online purportedly depicted Palestinians fiercely competing for food. Later that day, Israeli air operations dropped food supplies in northern Gaza, leading to chaotic scenes revealing the severe desperation and hunger among Gazans. The UN, along with humanitarian organizations and several European nations, has recently intensified their criticism of Israel due to the rising death toll in Gaza, nearing 60,000. Israel has stated it would facilitate increased aid to the area, provided it doesn’t reach Hamas, whom they accuse of misappropriating supplies.
Both the Israeli forces and the militants have exchanged blame for incidents involving civilian attacks at aid distribution locations. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump commented that Israel must “eliminate” Hamas in Gaza, following yet another collapse in ceasefire discussions.
