At least 12 people from Gaza drowned on Monday while attempting to access humanitarian airdrops, as reported by Palestinian health authorities. This comes as Pentagon officials confirmed that three out of the 80 parcels they airdropped into Gaza on the same day experienced parachute malfunctions and ended up in the water.
Officials from Palestine stated that the individuals drowned near Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, as they entered the sea to collect the airdropped packages.
The country responsible for the aid drops is unknown, as Egypt, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, and a joint United Arab Emirates-Jordanian effort all undertook such missions over Gaza on Monday. CNN reported..
When asked about the drownings on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh acknowledged the reports but could not confirm them.
“As always, safety is a top priority when planning these airdrops,” Singh told reporters at the Pentagon. “Drop zones are chosen to prevent potential parachute failures. These humanitarian aid drops take place over water, and the wind causes the parcels to drift towards land. In case of a parachute malfunction, the parcels land in the water.”
She mentioned that in the U.S. humanitarian airdrop, three of the around 80 parcels “were reported to have experienced parachute malfunctions and landed in the water.”
The reported deaths occur as Israel’s stringent restrictions on aid entering the Gaza Strip have led to a worsening humanitarian crisis that is headed towards famine.
More than 31,000 Palestinians have already been killed and essential supplies have been almost entirely used up due to Israel’s harsh air and ground military campaign in the territory.
