Number of Gazans killed by airdrops rises to 21
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US-administered airdrops have become a threat to the lives of the people in Gaza.
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The US during its execution of airdrops over Gaza City, undated (AP)
The head of the Government Media Office in Gaza revealed on Thursday that the number of martyrs due to airdrops improperly executed has risen to 21 Palestinians.
Salama Marouf confirmed in a statement that airdrop operations now pose a real threat to the lives of those in Gaza.
He reported that 12 Palestinians were martyred by drowning while trying to get aid that fell into the sea, adding that eight others were martyred as a result of the stampede or the load falling on them after parachutes failed to open.
Marouf said that one of the Palestinians was martyred as a result of being shot by the occupation forces while he was waiting for aid, noting that 30% of the airdrop contents were thrown into the sea, or bordering areas where the IOF prevent access to Palestinians.
This announcement comes at a time when the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip has completely stopped after the IOF occupied the Rafah border crossing two days ago.
Last month, Grant Shapps, the UK defence secretary announced the halting of the airdropping of British aid into the Gaza Strip following an incident where a parcel resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians.
It is worth noting that US weapons have been used in the last seven months to kill more than 34,000 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children.
In a mere slap on the wrist, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that the US has decided to hold up a delivery of weapons and munitions to "Israel" after the latter carried out an offensive on Rafah without Washington's approval.
A top UN official said Thursday that "Israel's" blockade of major crossings into Gaza has shut off the main entrance route for supplies, notably gasoline, making humanitarian operations nearly impossible.
Andrea De Domenico, head of the United Nations Humanitarian Agency, OCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed that the "main entry point for all humanitarian aid" had been lost.
Days ago, the occupation closed the Karem Abu Salem crossing following the killing of four Israeli soldiers in the Karem Abu Salem military base, which is around 1,5 kilometers away from the crossing.
De Domenico told AFP that while "Israel" claims to have reopened Karem Abu Salem on Wednesday, getting supplies in remains extremely difficult, adding that the Rafah gate, through which all petroleum into Gaza flows, remains blocked, implying that no fuel is entering.
