 "US carries out first airdrop of aid into Gaza. Reuters")
The first batch of foods and supplies was air-dropped by the US over Gaza on Saturday, two days after 100s of Gazans were killed during an encounter with Israeli troops as they scrambled for aid.
Following Thursday’s incident, US President Joe Biden on Friday announced plans to carry out a first military airdrop over Gaza. Earlier, Jordan and France carried out similar operations to ensure aid reaches Palestinians on time.
Earlier, Biden told reporters that the US was also looking at the possibility of a maritime corridor to deliver large amounts of aid into Gaza.
What did the aid contain?
The US military dropped 66 bundles containing about 38,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 a.m. EST.
The airdrop is expected to be the first of many announced by President Joe Biden on Friday. The aid will be coordinated with Jordan, which has also conducted airdrops to deliver food to Gaza.
The aircraft used to airdrop aid
The US Air Force deployed three C-130 cargo planes to carry out the operation.
The C-130 is widely used to deliver aid to remote places due to its ability to land in austere environments and cargo capacity.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe jet can airlift as much as 42,000 pounds of cargo and is also a preferred plane for such exercises as its crews know how to rig the cargo, which sometimes can include even vehicles, onto massive pallets that can be safely dropped out of the back of the aircraft.
They have earned their fame for carrying out successful aid deliveries in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti and other locations.
With inputs from agencies