Name: Biden Orders Airdrops to Expand Humanitarian Deliveries to Embattled Gaza
Uploaded: 2024-03-02T04:13:10.000Z
Description: The U.S. government will begin airdropping humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip in hopes of widening the flow of critical supplies to civilians in the embattled territory.

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Citizens Honor Police for Their Service and Sacrifice

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

Trump ‘Projecting American Influence and Leadership’ on Iran Issue in Beijing: China Expert

Chris Bob is a reporter for NTD and a host of "Profiles of Service." He is also a small business owner. Chris graduated from Union College with a concentration in politics and religion in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Chris Bob

Senate Panel Advances Crypto Regulation Bill

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Lawmakers Weigh ‘Sanctuary’ Polices After Woman’s Death in Virginia

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Bonta Announces Major Fentanyl Bust in California

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper Praises Trump's Military Actions

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

Lawyers in OpenAI Trial Give Closing Arguments

Eva Fu is a New York-based writer for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. politics, U.S.-China relations, religious freedom, and human rights. Contact Eva at eva.fu@epochtimes.com

Eva Fu

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

China News

Organ Harvesting in China

Congressional Hearing Spotlights Forced Organ Harvesting in China

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Report: Giants WR Nabers Had 2nd Procedure on Knee

Xavier Becerra Leads New California Governor Poll

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 5)

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

The U.S. government will begin airdropping humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip in hopes of widening the flow of critical supplies to civilians in the embattled territory.

Speaking at a White House meeting on Friday, President Joe Biden said the United States would join the Kingdom of Jordan and other neighboring countries that have delivered humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by air after the outbreak of fighting in the territory.

The U.S. president said his administration would look for additional avenues to speed the flow of humanitarian supplies into the territory, "including the possibility of a marine corridor." The Gaza Strip is bordered to the west by the Mediterranean Sea.

President Biden's moves to expand humanitarian aid came a day after a chaotic incident in which dozens of people were killed, and hundreds more were injured amid reports of gunfire and stampeding as a convoy of trucks delivered supplies overland along the Nabulsi roundabout in north Gaza. There are conflicting claims about what caused these deaths and injuries, with the Israeli government attributing many of the casualties to people being trampled as a crowd beset the aid trucks and looted the supplies. Other reports suggest people in the crowd were killed when Israel Defense Force (IDF) members lining the humanitarian corridor fired their weapons.

While the exact circumstances are still unclear and under investigation, Egyptian, Jordanian, and Saudi Arabian foreign ministry officials placed much of the blame for the injuries and deaths on the Israeli forces in their initial reactions to the chaotic incident.

"The loss of life is heartbreaking," President Biden said on Friday while discussing humanitarian aid and the incident along the Nabulsi roundabout. "People are so desperate that innocent people got caught in a terrible war unable to feed their families, and you saw the response when they tried to get aid in."

Assessing both the deadly incident at the Nabulsi roundabout and the overall humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, President Biden said "we need to do more and the United States will do more."

The president said humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip need to be sustained by hundreds of supply trucks but said residents there have received "just several."
<div class="segment style-scope ytd-transcript-segment-renderer" role="button" aria-label="3 minutes, 55 seconds they need no excuses because the truth">

"The truth is aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough now. It's nowhere nearly enough," he said. "Innocent lives are on the line and children's lives are on the line and we won't stand by."
<h2>New Allegations Follow Deadly Aid Delivery</h2>
Addressing the chaotic incident on Thursday evening, IDF Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said IDF soldiers and tanks had lined the humanitarian aid corridor near the Nabulsi roundabout.

"Thousands of Gazans dispensed upon the trucks. Some began violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death looting the humanitarian supplies," Mr. Hagari said. "The unfortunate incident resulted in dozens of Gazans killed and injured."

The Israeli military officer said as the crowds were first seen swarming around the convoy of about 30 delivery trucks, Israeli tanks "cautiously tried to disperse the mob with a few warning shots," but later backed away as the chaotic crowd continued. He said no further IDF strike was conducted on the aid convoy.

Axios previously reported, citing an IDF official, that Israeli troops fired some warning shots as the crowds closed in on them and then fired at the legs of those who continued to approach. This IDF official said around ten civilians were hit by the Israeli soldiers’ fire, a casualty assessment also shared with The Times of Israel.

As of Friday, health officials in Gaza have assessed 115 people were killed and more than 750 others were injured.

Dr. Mohammed Salha, the acting director of Al-Awda Hospital, told The Associated Press that of the 176 wounded brought to the hospital, 142 had gunshot wounds, and the other 34 showed injuries from a stampede.

Dr. Husam Abu Safyia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, separately told The Associated Press that the majority of the injured brought to his hospital had sustained gunshot wounds to the upper parts of their bodies, with multiple individuals dying with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, or chest.
<h2>The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza</h2>
</div>
The Gaza Strip has been a battle zone since October. The fighting there began after Hamas gunmen breached the Gaza-Israel barrier on Oct. 7 and carried out a series of attacks across southern Israel, resulting in more than 1,100 people killed, thousands more injured, and around 250 taken back to Gaza as hostages.

In the days following the Oct. 7 attack, Israeli forces blockaded the territory. Israeli forces also began a campaign of air strikes, followed by a ground invasion of the territory.

The exact number of civilian casualties resulting from the ongoing fighting cannot be immediately verified.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the auspices of Hamas’ political control of the Gaza Strip, more than 30,000 Gazans have been killed, and more than 71,000 have been injured. The Gaza Health Ministry does not clearly distinguish between lawful combatants and non-combatants.

According to a statement organized last week by various United Nations agencies and international non-profits, those killed and wounded in the Gaza Strip consist mostly of women and children. The joint statement also estimates more than three-quarters of Gaza's population have been displaced, some more than once, and face shortages of food, water, sanitation, and healthcare. The statement further assessed there have been more than 370 attacks impacting healthcare sights in the Gaza Strip, and just 12 of 36 inpatient hospitals in the territory remain even partially functional at this point.

President Biden has seen growing pressure, including from his fellow Democrats, to do more to help the Palestinians. Several Democrats have <a href="https://www.ntd.com/progressive-house-democrats-bring-ceasefire-resolution-to-halt-israel-hamas-war_948332.html">urged a ceasefire</a> in the ongoing conflict and have sought to <a href="https://www.ntd.com/bernie-sanders-bid-to-tie-israel-military-aid-to-humanitarian-assurances-rejected-by-senate_967020.html">attach humanitarian compliance controls</a> to new rounds of U.S. military aid for Israel.

On Wednesday, Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to President Biden, urging his administration to deploy a military hospital ship to treat injured Gazans and to open a sea route for new humanitarian aid deliveries.

Addressing the Nabulsi roundabout incident on Thursday evening, Mr. Hagari said Israel's war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza, and Israel is seeking to expand humanitarian efforts.

"Hamas started this war when it massacred and kidnapped Israeli civilians on October 7, and then went back into Gaza and hid behind the Gazan civilians, using them as a human shield," he said. "We recognize the suffering of the innocent people of Gaza. This is why we are seeking ways to expand our humanitarian efforts."

Latest

Videos

04_Top Stories

Latest Clips

Management

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's National Security Correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

02_Second Lead

U.S. President Joe Biden

Israel–Hamas War

Israel-Hamas war

Gaza aid

Gaza civilian deaths

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.