In a twist so exquisite  the great dramedy writers couldn’t come up with it, an American humanitarian airdrop in northern Gaza turned deadly on Friday, killing 5 people and wounding 10, according to a medic at Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa.

The airdrop, which was intended to deliver aid to those in need, occurred north of the coastal Al-Shati refugee camp. Witnesses reported that the parachute failed to open, causing the package to fall like a rocket and land on a house, resulting in the fatalities.

The United States and Jordan are among the countries that have carried out airdrops in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are facing dire conditions after more than five months of war. Both countries have denied involvement in the fatalities, with a US defense official stating that “the US did not cause the fatalities during our airdrop in Gaza.” A Jordanian military source also confirmed that none of their aircraft were involved.

The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza has criticized the airdrops, calling them “futile” and “not the best way for aid to enter.” The United Nations has also expressed concerns, urging for more trucks to be permitted to reach Gaza through more border crossings, as airdrops and maritime aid corridors cannot substitute for land deliveries.

Despite the tragedy, the US military continued with its aid efforts, airdropping over 11,500 meals to Gaza on Friday in a joint operation with Jordan. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation, stating that it provided “life-saving humanitarian assistance in northern Gaza, to enable civilian access to critical aid.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)