From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 5, 2024
France and Jordan airdrop aid to Gaza
France and Jordan have teamed up to airdrop seven tons of aid to civilians and aid workers in Gaza, President Emmanuel Macron says.
“In a difficult context, France and Jordan delivered aid by air to the population and those aiding them,” Macron writes on X.
“The humanitarian situation remains critical in Gaza” after three months of conflict, he adds.
The French leader posts a photograph of an airman standing on the cargo ramp of a military plane, with parachutes visible in the sky below.
Macron’s office says the “extremely complex operation” took place late Thursday, saying it had been made possible by close ties between the French and Jordanian militaries.
Each nation sent a C-130 transport plane with mixed French-Jordanian crews, bringing a total of seven tonnes of “humanitarian and health” aid, the presidency said.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critical. In a difficult context, France and Jordan provided aid by air to the population and to those assisting them. pic.twitter.com/RXQYgPa9Ep
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 5, 2024
The supplies dropped by France and Jordan were equipped with systems that remotely guided them to a Jordanian field hospital operating in the territory, the French presidency says.
Thursday’s mission “allows us to show that such operations are possible,” the Elysee adds, without saying whether it would be repeated.
The Times of Israel Community.