Media reports in Israel, citing Palestinian sources, say that containers of humanitarian aid airlifted into Gaza by the United States killed five Palestinian civilians and injured many more, apparently after parachutes failed to deploy.
Video footage circulating on social media purports to show people being hit by aid packages airdropped into Gaza by countries including the United States.
Palestinian reports cited by Hebrew media say at least five people were killed near Gaza City when hit directly by the packages, while many more were injured.
The Biden administration has begun airdrops inside Gaza, though it has acknowledged that sending aid into Gaza by land, i.e. by trucks, remains the best and most efficient option.
Israel says that unlimited numbers of trucks can enter Gaza, and that the problem with getting aid to civilians is distribution, due to the lack of capacity by the United Nations and the fact that Hamas terrorists steal much of the aid that enters the territory.
President Joe Biden used his State of the Union address Thursday night to announce that the U.S. military will build a port in Gaza for the transfer of aid, though it is not clear how he will fulfill a promise not to have “boots on the ground.”
