The conflict in the Gaza Strip has escalated, resulting in the loss of 88 lives and the injury of 135 individuals, as reported by Gaza’s Ministry of Health. This brings the total casualties since the conflict’s onset to 31,272 fatalities and 73,024 injuries.
Juliet Touma, a spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), announced on Wednesday that one of their flour distribution centers in Rafah, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, was struck. “We confirm the bombing of a UNRWA warehouse/distribution center. Further details are forthcoming,” stated Touma, noting that there were several injuries.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to protect lives and alleviate the plight of the 1.7 million internally displaced persons in Gaza who are at risk of famine amid ongoing conflict and scarce humanitarian aid.
The Jordanian military disclosed that it has conducted seven new airdrops in collaboration with various supportive nations, continuing its efforts to provide aid during the holy month of Ramadan.
As per the Jordanian Armed Forces’ official site, the airdrop mission involved two C-130 aircraft from the Jordanian Air Force, an Egyptian plane, three American planes, a Saudi Arabian plane, and a Belgian plane, targeting locations in northern Gaza.
This initiative, in partnership with the Sultanate of Brunei, aims to support Gaza’s residents and alleviate the impact of the intense conflict.
The Jordanian Armed Forces have affirmed their commitment to ongoing humanitarian and medical support through an air bridge, with deliveries from Marka Airport to Al-Arish International Airport, airdrops over Gaza, or via ground convoys.
To date, the Jordanian Armed Forces have executed 42 airdrops, with an additional 54 conducted in alliance with other nations.
The government media office in Gaza is evaluating the practicality of transporting aid from Cyprus’s Larnaca port to Gaza. They suggest that it would be more effective to urge for land-based aid deliveries through established crossings like Rafah and Karam Abu Salem or to reactivate the Al-Mintar, Al-Shujaiya, and Beit Hanoun crossings.
The statement further explained: “The cargo capacity of the ship is equivalent to one or two trucks and will take several days to arrive. The docking location and the method of reaching Gaza’s shores are yet to be determined, and the shipment will undergo inspection by the military, hence the viability of this approach is under review.”
