Palestinians carry their empty containers to fill with food, distributed by charitable organizations, behind bars because they are unable to obtain basic food supplies due to the siege imposed by Israeli forces on Rafah in Gaza on February 25, 2024.
Abed Zaqout | Anatolia | Getty Images
President Joe Biden announced Friday that the United States will drop food aid to the Gaza Strip, indicating that the humanitarian aid flowing into the region for the Palestinians is insufficient.
When announcing the decision regarding airdrops during a meeting in the Oval Office held with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Biden said: “The aid flowing to Gaza is not sufficient at all… Lives are at stake.”
He continued: “We must receive hundreds of trucks, not just a few.” “We're going to pull out every stop we can.”
The president reiterated that the United States was trying to push for an immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, where he said “innocent people” had died.
Later on Friday, the president responded to a reporter's question about when the first airdrop would be, saying: “I'm not sure. I think very soon.” Shortly after, Biden spoke about a possible ceasefire agreement, saying he “still hopes for it.”
A child holds an empty frying pan as he waits with others to receive hot food distributed by charities and charitable organizations in Gaza City, Gaza on February 26, 2024.
Omar sector | Anatolia | Getty Images
“It's not over until it's over,” he said.
On Thursday, Biden retracted his previous comments in which he expressed his hope that the ceasefire agreement would be completed by Monday.
The White House is increasingly concerned about the possibility of starvation for a large segment of Gaza's population.
Samantha Power, Administrator of the US Agency for International Development, announced this week that the United States will send $53 million in additional humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“She is working to expand the channels, the corridors through which that aid can flow,” Olivia Dalton, White House deputy press secretary, said Thursday. “And we will continue to do so.” “The events this morning have highlighted how deep and serious the humanitarian needs among the civilian population in Gaza are at the moment.”
Palestinians carrying empty containers wait in front of kettles to receive hot food distributed by charities and charitable organizations in Gaza City, Gaza on February 26, 2024.
Omar sector | Anatolia | Getty Images
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said in a statement on the Telegram app on Friday that 115 people died and 760 others were injured as a crowd of people waited for humanitarian aid trucks in Gaza on Thursday. Palestinian officials claimed that Israeli soldiers opened fire on civilians
NBC News has not independently verified the reported death toll. The Israeli army said it was reviewing the incident. An Israeli government source said that Israeli army forces responded with “live ammunition” after people surrounded trucks carrying humanitarian aid.
“This morning humanitarian aid trucks entered northern Gaza, and residents surrounded the trucks and looted the supplies that were delivered. As a result of the trucks being pushed, run over and trampled, dozens of Gazans were killed and injured,” the Israeli military said in a post on Thursday.
