Israel resumes token aid airdrops while continuing land blockade of aid into Gaza

The Israeli military claims that it will reopen “humanitarian corridors” for UN convoys in Gaza and restart aid airdrops, measures aimed at easing a crisis largely caused by its own blockade of the besieged enclave.

The move comes after what the army described as a “situational assessment,” and follows months of Israeli restrictions that severely limited the entry of food, water, and medicine leading to a famine in Gaza.

The airdrop, coordinated with international aid organisations, will include seven pallets of items such as flour, sugar, and canned goods provided by foreign partners. Airdrops have been widely criticised by humanitarian officials as symbolic and insufficient compared to allowing sustained truck deliveries through land crossings.

The Israeli army also said it would support the expansion of a water desalination plant in Gaza by connecting it to Israeli electricity. Israel has itself destroyed much of Gaza's water and electricity infrastructure.

Aid groups and UN officials have long called on Israel to fully lift its blockade and grant unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance, warning that piecemeal efforts fall short amid deepening famine and widespread disease.