The choice of the United States to deliver humanitarian aid by air to Gaza's residents does not cleanse America's hands of the Palestinian massacre.
ALWAGHT- Amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the blockade preventing aid from passing through the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, certain nations have turned to delivering assistance by air. Following the lead of Jordan, Egypt, and the UAE, which utilized aircraft to deliver food supplies to Gaza residents, the United States has also joined in.
According to American officials, three C-130 cargo planes from the US military dropped approximately 38,000 food parcels for needy individuals in Gaza on Saturday. These officials mentioned that the packages were dropped along the southwest coast of Gaza. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated, "These deliveries are part of ongoing efforts to provide more assistance to Gaza, including ground aid."
This marks America's inaugural emergency humanitarian aid endeavor through this method, as pledged by President Joe Biden, and these efforts are being coordinated with Jordan.
The extensive American advertising campaign promoting aid delivery to Gaza is occurring at a time when relief organizations emphasize that aerial assistance alone cannot adequately address the urgent food and hygiene needs of Gaza's population. With the majority of the 2.2 million residents facing starvation, the people of Gaza require not only food supplies but also sanitary facilities to mitigate the crisis instigated by the Zionists and Americans.
As reported by Sada El Balad, Richard Gowan, director of the International Crisis Group at the United Nations, commented on aerial assistance to Gaza, stating: "Humanitarian aid distribution workers often criticize air drops as excellent opportunities for photography, but they are an ineffective method of aid delivery."
Gowan emphasized that the most effective means of receiving sufficient aid is through humanitarian caravans that can navigate the conflict zones. It can be argued that the situation in Gaza has deteriorated to the extent that any additional provisions will alleviate some suffering, yet this remains a temporary solution at best.
The United States is complicit in the offenses committed by the Zionists
America's choice to airlift food to Gaza once more underscores the White House's mere symbolic human rights stances and inconsistent standards.
While the United States makes gestures in favor of civilian lives during conflicts, it has aligned itself as a supporter and ally of the Zionists in various acts of Palestinian genocide, particularly targeting women and children in Gaza. The global protests against American policymakers over the last five months reflect the world's awareness of the White House's pivotal role in perpetuating warfare and atrocities against innocent Gazans.
Right after the commencement of the Gaza war on October 7th, America promptly initiated the dispatch of military and logistical aid to the Zionist regime, and to this day, this direct assistance hasn't halted. The impact of numerous destructive American bombs on unarmed civilians, residential areas, and hospitals has tragically claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians.
In December, The Wall Street Journal disclosed that despite emphasizing the need to avoid civilian massacres, the Biden administration furnished Israel with 100 2000-pound bunker-buster bombs. American officials, as reported in the article, revealed that the surge in arms deliveries from America to Israel, encompassing the dispatch of 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells, commenced shortly after the October 7th attack and continues unabated.
During the initial two months of the Gaza conflict, the United States dispatched 230 cargo planes and 20 ships loaded with weaponry and military gear to the Zionist authorities. According to a December report from The Wall Street Journal, the munitions supplied by the United States to Israel encompassed more than 5,400 MK84 bombs and 5,000 unguided MK82 bombs. Additionally, Tel Aviv received 1,000 GBU-39 small-diameter bombs and roughly 3,000 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM).
The newspaper remarked, "The transfer of ammunition worth hundreds of millions of dollars via military C-17 aircraft from the United States to Tel Aviv underscores the diplomatic hurdles confronting the Biden administration. While America advises its primary regional ally to mitigate civilian casualties, it concurrently furnishes Tel Aviv with a significant portion of the munitions employed in these operations."
American military personnel played a notable role in the operations conducted by Zionist forces within Gaza, particularly in surveillance and intelligence-gathering endeavors. Leveraging satellite-linked devices and surveillance drones in the region, the United States aimed to safeguard the existence of the fabricated regime and deter attacks by resistance groups, thereby offering substantial assistance to the Zionists in overcoming regional challenges to their occupation and atrocities in Gaza. Consequently, by forming a maritime coalition in the Red Sea, it sought to counter Ansarullah's attacks on Zionist vessels and occupied territories.
Furthermore, the government has authorized a $14 billion aid package to Israel in recent weeks, aligning Washington with the ranks of those accused of war crimes and involvement in the occupation of Gaza.
Beyond military support, the United States has facilitated Zionist aggression by vetoing four ceasefire resolutions in the UN Security Council, emboldening perpetrators to commit further massacres. This extensive backing of the Zionists has prompted calls from within American authorities for an end to such assistance and heightened pressure on the Benjamin Netanyahu government.
The hands of the Biden administration are immersed in the blood of the Palestinians and domestic protests and condemnations within the United States have become commonplace. The recent self-immolation of a US army pilot in front of the Zionist regime's embassy has resonated globally, serving as an emotional protest against the role of the country's military and government in the Palestinian genocide.
Diverting global attention from the reopening of the Rafah crossing
Since the onset of the conflict involving the Zionist regime, all communication passages between Gaza and the external world for importing goods have been closed, worsening the blockade on this region. The Rafah crossing has faced aerial assaults from the early stages, with Egyptians asserting the impossibility of allowing the transit of the wounded or trucks ferrying international aid into Gaza through this checkpoint.
Simultaneously, a widespread famine has emerged due to the collective punishment policy enforced by the Zionists against Palestinians, resulting in the tragic deaths of several children from starvation. Consequently, a brutal attack on the large assembly of people around the scant number of trucks transporting food and other humanitarian supplies last week has spurred global pressure to end the blockade and reopen the passages.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that during the shooting incident while distributing food parcels from aid trucks, at least 115 individuals were killed, and hundreds more sustained injuries. Israel contends that many casualties perished due to overcrowding while attempting to access food aid, and military forces of this regime allegedly fired at others due to perceived threatening actions. However, these assertions have failed to persuade the international community.
Hence, the US government seeks to create the illusion of disagreement with Tel Aviv regarding humanitarian aid by employing aerial assistance. This strategy allows it to deflect external pressures and obscure its actual intention of supporting the reopening of the Rafah crossing, all while showcasing the delivery of several airlifts—which, by no means, meet the needs of Gaza's two million inhabitants.
In this context, Jeremy Konyndyk, the head of the International Refugee Organization, stated to the BBC: "A plane can drop the equivalent of two trucks, but it costs ten times more. Rather than air-dropping food, strong pressure should be applied to the Israeli government to facilitate assistance through traditional channels, enabling the delivery of aid on a larger scale."
Humanitarian organizations and officials from various countries stress that the most effective way to provide aid is for Israel to open border crossings and permit the safe entry and delivery of aid by truck convoys.
America and its Arab allies, including Egypt, ought to reopen the Rafah crossing to facilitate the delivery of aid to the people of Gaza. With the reopening of this crossing, America's aerial demonstrations become unnecessary.
According to the spokesperson of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, nearly a thousand trucks are currently queued at the Egyptian border. The International Children's Rescue Organization stresses that the United States and other nations should concentrate their efforts on ensuring the lifting of the Gaza blockade by Israel. They should also work towards persuading Israel to reopen border crossings, allowing the unobstructed flow of fuel, food, and medical supplies.
It is clear that the top priorities for the people of Gaza under the current circumstances are ending the war, providing humanitarian assistance, and creating opportunities for reconstruction. Gaza residents urge the US government to exert pressure on the hardline Netanyahu administration and pass resolutions against Zionism in the Security Council, aiming to end the plight of Palestinians who face constant peril.
