As images of starving Palestinian children emerged from Gaza, Israel announced on Friday that it will allow foreign countries to parachute humanitarian aid into the war-torn territory.
Citing a senior Israel Defense Forces official, Israeli outlet GLZ Radio reported on social media that the move would take effect on Friday.
"Starting this afternoon, the WCK [World Central Kitchen] organization began reactivating its kitchens," GLZ posted on X.
According to The Times, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are expected to conduct the airdrops, with Jordan set to begin making the deliveries as soon as possible.
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy reportedly also indicated that Britain was preparing to join the aid effort.
"When you ask about airdrops, we are discussing with partners in Jordan what more we can do to alleviate the pain and suffering that we're seeing in Gaza at this time," Lammy said at a press conference in Sydney.
"The deteriorating situation we've seen in Gaza over the last few weeks is indefensible. The sight of children reaching for aid and losing their lives has caused consternation over much of the world," he said.
"And that is why I repeat my call today for a ceasefire — a ceasefire that can see hostages released, who have now been kept for so long away from their families and loved ones, and a ceasefire that would alleviate the suffering we're seeing in Gaza."
The Times reported that the IDF is coordinating the aid airdrops. Aid organizations have also reported that Israel has eased access for aid delivery convoys, with reduced inspection times that have been allowing more trucks into Gaza since Wednesday.
Parachuting aid packages began in early 2024, however, humanitarian groups say that the method was ineffective and unable to replace access by land.
According to United Nations estimates, Gaza requires 500 to 600 trucks of food and supplies a day — a quantity that cannot be safely delivered by parachute.
In some cases, Palestinians were killed by falling crates and in stampedes or drowned while trying to retrieve aid packages from the sea.
On Wednesday, more than 100 aid groups warned that Gaza is on the brink of starvation, and the U.N. said the day before that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while waiting to get food. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, said Thursday that 1 in 5 children in Gaza is malnourished.
But Israel maintains that Hamas is "running a deliberate and false propaganda campaign" as a pressure tactic amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Col. Abdullah Halabi, head of the IDF's Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza, disputed the narrative that Israel is not allowing international aid organizations into the territory or is limiting the number of trucks.
"'We operate every day to bring in aid, Hamas operates every day to create a perception of crisis. The international community needs to know the truth!' -COL Abdullah Halabi, Head of the CLA Gaza, on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom crossing," the IDF posted on X with a video featuring Halabi.
At a Thursday briefing, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott backed Israel and blamed Hamas for preventing aid from reaching Gaza residents.
"The only group weaponizing aid is Hamas," Pigott said in video posted on X.