France Deploys 40 Tons Of Humanitarian Aid To Gaza By Air

France began shipping 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid by air to Gaza/PHOTO via X @EmmanuelMacron

JAKARTA - France began shipping 40 tons of humanitarian aid by air to Gaza. France urged Israel to allow full access to an area it said was being hit by starvation.

"Facing a very urgent urgency, we have just carried out an operation to deliver food by air in Gaza. Thank you to Jordanian, Emirati and German partners for their support, and to our military personnel for their commitment," President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media platform X. reported by Reuters, Friday, August 1.

"Airflight alone is not enough. Israel must open up full humanitarian access to address the risk of starvation," he continued.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot previously told French franceinfo broadcasters to send four flights each carrying 10 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza from Jordan.

The global hunger monitoring agency said Tuesday that hunger conditions were taking place in the Gaza Strip, with soaring malnutrition, children under five died from causes of hunger, and humanitarian access was severely restricted.

France participated six times in European humanitarian air transport formed in mid-October 2023 by the European Union to Jordan and Egypt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, Macron's office said.

European air transport allows the organization of more than 60 flights carrying more than 3,350 tons of humanitarian cargo, with most donations in the form of transit goods through Egypt and Jordan, according to Macron's office.

Some of this aid has yet to enter Gaza due to a lack of approval from Israeli authorities.