US To Airdrop Supplies In Gaza: Risks, Past Examples, Other Options

The US military will start carrying out airdrops of food and supplies into Gaza in the coming days, joining other countries like France, Jordan and Egypt that have done the same.The United States will use military aircraft to drop supplies over Gaza. While it is unclear which type of aircraft will be used, the C-17 and C-130 are best suited for the job. According to the U.S. Air Force, a C-130 can hold 16 pallets while a C-17 can carry 40. Military personnel on the ground load supplies onto the pallets, which are then loaded onto planes, and locked in place.

Once the aircraft is over the area where the supplies are needed, the lock holding them in place is released and they sail to the ground with the help of a parachute attached to the pallet.While the military can look at weather patterns ahead of time, the wind plays a large role in ensuring that they land where they should. Social media videos have shown some aid delivered by other countries ending up in the sea.

Gaza is densely populated and officials say it will be difficult to ensure that the aid reaches the people who need it and doesn't end up in some place that is unreachable."It is extremely difficult to do an airdrop in such a crowded environment as is Gaza," John Kirby, President Joe Biden's top national security spokesperson, said.

Officials also say that without a US military presence on the ground, there is no guarantee that the aid will not end up in the hands of Hamas.Each year over Christmas, it drops humanitarian aid to remote islands in the Pacific Ocean in an effort known as "Operation Christmas Drop."