Continued U.S. and Jordanian Participation in Aid to Gaza Residents; Prepared Meals for Civilians

On Thursday, May 20, the U.S. Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force continued their bilateral partnerships to assist the civilian population of Gaza by delivering tens of thousands of meals via air. According to CENTCOM, in this joint operation, three U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo planes initially dropped over 25,300 prepared meals in northern Gaza. The report states that Jordan's lifesaving humanitarian aid also included over 2,700 kilograms of various food items delivered to civilians affected by the actions of Hamas and Israel in Gaza. Since the beginning of airlifting humanitarian aid to Gaza last March, the United States has dropped over 1,200 tons of food needed by the people in various areas of the strip, especially in the north. The U.S. Department of Defense states that the 'humanitarian airdrops' to Gaza are part of ongoing efforts by the United States and partner nations to alleviate the suffering of civilians affected by the war and will continue. Meanwhile, images provided by U.S. Central Command show that work on constructing a floating aid dock in the Mediterranean Sea is progressing rapidly. The first ship carrying U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza was also loaded on Thursday, May 20, and has set sail towards this floating dock. According to the plan, the aid cargo will be transferred at that floating dock to smaller American boats, which will then take it to the shores of Gaza. CENTCOM reported on the joint aid operation of the United States and Jordan in northern Gaza. Aid to Gaza was halted after Israel took control of the Rafah border crossing. Israeli tanks entered the Rafah crossing in Gaza. Israel closed a main humanitarian aid crossing following a Hamas attack. The World Food Program warns: the opportunity to save hundreds of thousands in Sudan is running out. There was a conflict over the humanitarian aid shipment sent by Jordan; Hamas intercepted and stole the shipment mid-route. The U.S. and Jordan's partnership for aiding the people of Gaza involved sending 38,000 meals to northern regions.