Biden says US to airdrop aid into Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens

Washington: President Joe Biden announced the US would begin airdropping humanitarian aid into Gaza, joining other nations in a bid to relieve increasingly dire conditions wrought by the Israel-Hamas war.

The president announced the move after at least 115 Palestinians were killed and more than 750 others were injured, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, on Thursday when witnesses said nearby Israeli troops opened fire as huge crowds raced to pull goods off an aid convoy.

Biden said the air drops will begin in the “coming days.”

The decision marks a shift that acknowledges current efforts to get supplies into Gaza have fallen short in addressing the humanitarian crisis, and shows how much pressure the president has faced to step up US support for Palestinians.

Biden said Friday at the White House his administration would "pull out every stop we can to get more assistance in."

President made the announcement while hosting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White house.