4:41Palestinians assemble to obtain food from a charitable kitchen amid a hunger emergency in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, July 20, 2025.Ramadan Abed/Reuters
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is set to airdrop humanitarian supplies into Gaza as Palestinians confront a severe food crisis, with diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire faltering, a source acquainted with the operation informed ABC News.
Jordan’s Royal Air Force will recommence the airdrop by utilizing a reserve of 500 tons of food stored in Amman, the source revealed. Military aircraft will deposit the food into designated zones, which are being arranged in conjunction with Israeli authorities, according to an Israeli security official.
These airdrops, viewed by humanitarian officials as a last resort, occur as the dire situation in Gaza approaches famine, which the United Nations has warned is imminent.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who appeared in Washington this week alongside the Jordanian foreign minister, evaded inquiries from ABC News regarding how the U.S. might alleviate the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, especially for the enclave’s children, who are facing starvation at alarming rates.
President Donald Trump expressed irritation on Friday morning after the U.S. and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from the region on Thursday, attributing the stalled discussions to Hamas and indicating that Israel would intensify its military efforts.
"They withdrew from negotiations," Trump stated. "It was unfortunate that Hamas didn't genuinely want to reach an agreement."
In a photo released by the Jordanian Armed Forces, aid is shown being dropped into Gaza.Jordan Armed Forces
Hamas indicated on Thursday that it was "taken aback" by the U.S. pulling back its negotiators, stating that "mediators have acknowledged" the terror group's "constructive and positive position" in the discussions.
Trump asserted that diplomacy has reached a stage where Israel is "going to have to finish the task," implying military action as a solution. "You're going to have to eliminate" Hamas, he remarked.
Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, noted that "alternative measures" would be considered to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed Witkoff’s sentiment, but neither provided details on what those options might entail.
The president claimed that aid is obstructed by Hamas and stated that the U.S. "is going to do more" regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Jordan's emergency humanitarian response will be supplemented by the United Arab Emirates, the Israeli official mentioned. Flights over Gaza, coordinated by the Israel Defense Forces and COGAT, the Israeli organization responsible for facilitating aid into the Gaza Strip, could commence within the coming days, according to the Israeli source.
The renewed airdrops are anticipated to exceed the scale of those conducted by Jordan in 2024, which provided over 1,000 tons of aid to Palestinians, the source acquainted with the operation informed ABC News.
Reports indicate that cases of severe malnutrition among children under 5 in Gaza have tripled within just two weeks, according to Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
At MSF clinics, one in four children who underwent screening — along with pregnant and breastfeeding women — are reported to be malnourished, according to emergency doctors.
Members of the Jordan Armed Forces prepare for airdrops.Jordan Armed Forces
One in three individuals in the enclave, 70% of which is under Israeli control, have not consumed food for several consecutive
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
