Unintended Consequences: Exploring the Fallout of Accidental Humanitarian Aid in Israel
Watan-Israeli media circulated a picture of food supplies, claiming they were part of the aid that fell in the settlement of Zikim.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that some of the aid did not reach its destination and washed up on the shores of Zikim, indicating it didn’t reach Gaza.
Contrary to the picture, it was noted that the first circulation of the image occurred on Tuesday morning around 7:30 Palestine time.
While news about an aerial drop north of Gaza started around 10:42 Palestine time on March 5, it is likely that these supplies were from previous days.
Activists and social media platforms shared videos of drops in northern areas.
Additionally, on February 29, some aid packages accidentally fell in Zikim, according to Hebrew media.
Ikhad platform verified the location in the recently circulated picture, analyzing its landmarks confirming it was indeed Zikim beach, matching the port of the “Rotenberg” power station in Ashkelon with the picture.
#جيوبوست | تداولت وسائل إعلام عبرية اليوم الثلاثاء 5 مارس صورة لمواد غذائية، قالت إنها من المساعدات التي سقطت في مستوطنة زيكيم.
✔️وقالت القناة 12 العبرية إن بعض المساعدات لم تصل إلى وجهتها وسقطت على شاطئ زيكيم، بحسب التقارير.
✔️بالبحث العكسي عن الصورة، تبيّن أن أول تداول للصورة… pic.twitter.com/PhTxFjx5nq
— EekadFacts | إيكاد (@EekadFacts) March 5, 2024
The location of this drop is approximately 3 km away from Gaza, according to Google Maps.
Analyzing the shadow shapes in the picture suggests it was taken early in the morning (around 6-7 am).
Examining the nature of the materials that reached the shore to determine if they were intended for Gaza, it was found that one product visible in the image was “Tiffany” biscuits, produced in the UAE, indicating these supplies might be from aid dropped by Arab countries like the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan during previous drops.
Accidental Humanitarian Aid in Israel
The Israeli military previously announced that humanitarian aid dropped by Jordanian planes over Gaza mistakenly fell into Israeli territory.
Due to winds, some aid parcels landed in Israeli territory, the Israeli army stated according to Hebrew media.
Several countries, particularly Arab ones, conducted aerial drops of humanitarian aid to Gaza, intensifying after the Nablus Circle massacre on Rashid Street, where Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians hoping to receive humanitarian aid.
Ineffective Aid
However, relief workers confirmed that the aerial delivery of aid is ineffective in reaching the population and that the current shipments are insufficient to meet the needs of over two million people trapped in Gaza.
The amount of humanitarian aid arriving by truck has significantly decreased while the besieged population faces a severe shortage of food, water, and medicine.
Nearly five months after the war, Gaza residents resort to eating grains usually used for livestock or plants they feed on.
Officials from the United Nations warned that famine is “almost inevitable” in Gaza if sufficient aid is not promptly delivered.
Aerial Drops: Ineffective Display and Propaganda
The Gaza Government Media Office earlier confirmed that aerial aid drops and the avoidance of land crossings are part of a futile, superficial approach aimed at circumventing root solutions to the problem.
They emphasized that aerial aid drops are “compliance with the occupation’s policy of starvation, buying time for the occupation, and prolonging famine to cause as much harm as possible to the people and citizens.”
