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Tuesday, August 12, 2025
For Trump administration, US airdrops of Gaza aid were never a serious option — sources
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During US President Joe Biden’s administration, the US military carried out waves of airdrops of food into Gaza, delivering some 1,220 tons of assistance.
But the option hasn’t been seriously considered by Donald Trump’s administration, US officials and other sources say, even as he voices concern over starvation in Gaza amid Israel’s nearly two-year-old military campaign against Hamas.
One source says it is seen as an unrealistic option because airdrops would not come close to meeting the needs of 2.1 million Palestinians.
This comes even as close US allies, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Britain, have carried out airdrops of assistance to Gaza.
Humanitarian aid groups have long been critical of airdrops of aid, calling them more symbolic than truly effective when the scale of the need in Gaza requires open land routes for large amounts of aid to enter the enclave.
The heavy packages could also present a danger to civilians on the ground rushing toward the parachuting aid.
“It just hasn’t been part of the discussions,” says one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Trump administration deliberations.
A source familiar with the issue says: “It hasn’t been a serious consideration because it’s not really a serious option at this moment.”
Some US officials war-gamed the option and found “it’s absolutely unrealistic,” says the source familiar with the matter. The source says it is unknown how “big a lift capacity” could be managed even if the Israelis approved US use of the airspace.
A diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, says he is unaware of any US interest in participating in the airdrop effort.
Another official in a US-allied country which is taking part in the airdrops says there have been no conversations with the United States about Washington taking part in the effort.
The official adds that the United States is not providing logistical support for the airdrops being carried out by other countries.
Asked for comment, a White House official says the administration is open to “creative solutions” to the issue.
“President Trump has called for creative solutions ‘to help the Palestinians’ in Gaza. We welcome any effective effort that delivers food to Gazans and keeps it out of the hands of Hamas,” the White House official says.
Israel began allowing food airdrops in late July, as global concern mounted about the humanitarian toll in Gaza from the war.
The Times of Israel Community.