Israel allows foreign countries to parachute aid into Gaza

Israel has said foreign countries can drop aid into Gaza from today.

A senior IDF official told Sky News on Friday: "Starting today, Israel will allow foreign countries to parachute aid into Gaza. "Starting this afternoon, the WCK organisation began reactivating its kitchens." Latest: Starmer to have 'emergency' Gaza call with France and Germany Humanitarian aid organisation World Central Kitchen paused its operation in Gaza in November after a number of its workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike last year.

Aid workers in Gaza - who help provide food, medicine and shelter for the millions displaced there - have been affected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - an Israel and US-backed organisation - has been distributing food packages in Gaza since the end of May, after Israel eased its 11-week blockade of aid into the territory.

More than 1,000 people have reportedly been killed while trying to receive food aid since then, according to the UN, with the territory facing a starvation crisis. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said on Friday that nine people have died of malnutrition in the past 24 hours.

In a post on Facebook, the ministry said a total of 122 people, including 83 children, have died because of a lack of food since the war began. In the first two weeks of July, the UN children's agency UNICEF treated 5,000 children facing acute malnutrition in the Strip.

On Friday, the UN warned that Gaza was running out of specialised therapeutic foods to treat malnourished children. Aid was air-dropped into the territory from military planes last year by countries, including Jordan, the US and the UK via the Royal Air Force, but humanitarian organisations warned it wasn't enough.

It is also a potentially dangerous way to deliver supplies, and in March 2024, five people were killed when an aid parachute failed and a parcel fell on them. There have also been reports of people drowning while trying to reach supplies that had fallen into the sea.

Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group rampaged through southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, and taking around 250 hostage, on 7 October 2023. Israel has denied there is a food shortage in Gaza - despite earlier this week more than 100 aid agencies warning of mass starvation in Gaza - and claims it had to take control of the supply and distribution of aid because Hamas fighters have been stealing aid before it reached civilians.

Hamas has denied this, as have some humanitarian groups, including USAID. The IDF said in a statement on Friday it "categorically rejects the claims of intentional harm to civilians, particularly in the manner described.

For the sake of clarity, the army's binding orders prohibit forces operating in the area from intentionally firing at civilians". Read more:People in Gaza are 'walking corpses'Recognise Palestine, Starmer urgedIDF 'shooting Gazans in specific areas' It added: "We are aware of reports of casualties among those who arrived at the aid distribution sites.

These incidents are under examination by the relevant IDF authorities. Any allegation of a violation of the law or regulations will be thoroughly investigated, including taking appropriate action if necessary.

"The IDF is working to facilitate and ease the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) at the designated distribution centres, as well as through other international actors. These efforts are being conducted under difficult and complex operational conditions.

As part of its operational conduct, the IDF draws lessons and conducts systematic learning processes in order to improve its operational response.".