(Ottawa) The Department of International Development confirmed Wednesday evening that Canada is working to airdrop humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.
Olivia Batten, spokesperson for the Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, clarified that no air transport would take place using Canadian military planes.
Hussen said earlier Wednesday that Ottawa was exploring new options for providing aid to the besieged Palestinian territory as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Federal Minister for International Development Ahmed Hussen
He said “aid airdrops to Gaza, in partnership with like-minded countries such as Jordan,” were on the table.
“I have just returned from the region and Canadian aid is making a difference,” he told reporters on Parliament Hill.
After his visits to Jordan and Egypt last week, Mr. Hussen acknowledged that humanitarian aid delivered to Palestinian civilians was largely insufficient.
He said a cumbersome inspection process at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza was slowing the delivery of supplies by truck.
Canada has devoted 100 million in humanitarian aid to the besieged territory since the start of the conflict, including 40 million last month.
Humanitarian convoys carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, Israeli officials said Wednesday, the first major delivery in a month to the isolated and devastated area.
Growing concern over hunger in the territory has fueled international calls for a ceasefire, as the United States, Egypt and Qatar work to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a break in the fighting.
The two camps publicly remain very far apart in their demands.
A pause would allow the release of some of the hostages captured by Hamas during its October 7 attack on Israel in which Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages. About 130 hostages remain after some were freed during a temporary ceasefire in November.
Israel says about a quarter of the hostages are dead.
The Israeli army’s assault on Gaza, which it says is aimed at destroying Hamas, has been relentless.
Officials in Hamas-controlled territory say more than 29,900 Palestinians have died.
Israel has barred the entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies, except for a trickle of aid entering the Rafah crossing and the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing.
Despite international calls to allow more aid, the number of incoming supply trucks has fallen dramatically in recent weeks.
U.N. officials are warning of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on its promise to attack Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have sought refuge.
They also say that an offensive on Rafah could derail aid operations, already paralyzed by the fighting.
With information from the Associated Press