Emmanuel Macron Asks Israel To Fully Open Access To Gaza For Humanity

JAKARTA - The French military has delivered humanitarian aid by air to the Gaza Strip but it is considered insufficient to deal with hunger there, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday (1/8).

"Facing an urgent humanitarian crisis, we have just delivered food aid by air over Gaza. I thank Jordanian partners, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany for their support, as well as to our armed forces for their dedication," Macron said in X.

The French leader stressed that aid shipments by air were "not enough" and that Israel "must provide full humanitarian access to address the risk of starvation."

Earlier this week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrrot said that France would begin sending humanitarian aid by air to the residents of the Gaza Strip starting Friday.

A total of 40 tonnes of emergency aid supplies will be delivered via four flights, Barrot added.

Apart from France, German military aircraft also delivered the first humanitarian aid by air to the Palestinian enclave residents, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense said in a joint statement.

The first two flights brought down 34 palettes containing nearly 14 tonnes of food and medicine donated by the Jordanian Hasemite Charity Organization (JHCO), the statement read.

However, as only a small part of the necessary assistance that can be delivered by air and operations is difficult and requires a lot of experience and knowledge from military professionals, Germany has again urged Israel to be able to immediately provide humanitarian assistance to Gazans, the statement said.

Earlier on July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a sharp increase in deaths from malnutrition in Gaza, including 21 child deaths since early 2025.

Acute malnutrition affects more than 10 percent of the population, and more than 20 percent of pregnant and lactating women who are tested for malnutrition have often reached severe conditions, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He warned that the hunger crisis was getting worse due to the termination of aid deliveries and access restrictions.