Netherlands begins Gaza aid airdrops

The Netherlands on Friday began dropping food, medicine, and drinking water over Gaza in a bid to ease the enclave's deepening humanitarian crisis.

A Dutch military transport plane, loaded in Jordan, conducted the first drop under a mission approved last week at Jordan's request, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans described the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic."

Daily flights are planned for the next two weeks, with parachuted packages containing non-perishable food, medical supplies, and water.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stressed that while "every attempt to provide aid is welcome," airdrops cannot replace overland deliveries.

"In terms of scale and effectiveness, there's no alternative to land aid. A truck can transport far more at a much lower cost," said OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko.

Oxfam Novib's humanitarian expert Mirthe Bosch said airdrops should be "a last resort" and called the operation "a symbolic attempt to assuage the conscience of politicians," noting that thousands of trucks are ready at Gaza's borders.

Israel has restricted aid access since imposing a total blockade in March, with only limited supplies allowed in recent months.

The World Food Programme says one in three Palestinians in Gaza goes without food for days, and people are dying daily from starvation. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini has called recent increases in aid "a diversion and a smokescreen."

Airdrops also pose safety risks, with some packages falling into the sea or restricted zones, and others causing injuries when parachutes failed.

"Sacks of flour are dropped on an exhausted and starving population, and people literally have to run for it. The strongest get what they need," Bosch warned.

"As long as people are cut off from their lifelines, a few food drops won't solve anything. We need direct access, and that requires political will," she added.