Belgium Joins Jordan Led Gaza Aid Air Drop Operation Amid Famine Fears

BRUSSELS: Belgium has announced its participation in a multinational humanitarian air-drop mission to Gaza, coordinated by Jordan, in response to escalating warnings from United Nations agencies about an impending famine in the besieged Palestinian territory.

A Belgian military aircraft loaded with medical supplies and food worth approximately €600,000 (around $690,000) will soon be deployed to Jordan. According to a joint statement from Belgium’s defense and foreign ministries, the plane will remain on standby for air-drop missions in coordination with the Jordanian authorities.

Belgium joins a growing list of Western countries, including France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, that have opted for aerial delivery of aid into Gaza as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.

“These airdrops are a first step, but they can in no way be a substitute for the urgent need to facilitate access by land,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot emphasized. “I will continue to plead with the Israeli authorities to allow these deliveries to enter Gaza by road as quickly as possible.”

The World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly warned earlier this week that Gaza is “on the brink of a full-scale famine” and that humanitarian agencies are running out of time to prevent catastrophe.

Israel imposed a complete blockade on Gaza on March 2 after the collapse of ceasefire negotiations. While limited humanitarian aid has been allowed to enter since late May, access remains severely restricted.

Under mounting international pressure, Israel began allowing a limited number of aid trucks to pass through two border crossings last Sunday and has permitted tactical pauses in military operations to facilitate air drops by Jordanian and Emirati aircraft.

Despite an increase in aid efforts, UN experts caution that unless humanitarian organizations are given “immediate and unimpeded” access to Gaza, current measures will fall short of preventing widespread starvation.