Five killed in Gaza as aid package parachute 'fails to deploy' hitting people on ground

A US defence official is quoted as saying an initial review indicated a US airdrop was not responsible for the deaths
Parachutes drop supplies into the northern Gaza Strip
AP
John Dunne @jhdunne8 March 2024

Five people have been killed in Gaza after an aid package plunged to the ground hitting people on the ground, according to Gaza’a Ministry of Health.

Officials from the Hamas-run ministry told CBS that at least one parachute on a package did not deploy properly and fell on those below.

The people were in the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, and the incident occurred at around 11.30am local time on Friday.

Two boys were among the five people killed and that 11 others were injured in the incident. Those injured were between 30 and 50 years old, according to CBS.

The US, Jordan, Egypt, France, the Netherlands and Belgium dropped aid over Gaza Friday in an attempt to get supplies in.

Among the parcels was food with the humanitarian crisis taking its toll on the population in Gaza.

A US defence official told CBS News an initial review indicated a US airdrop was not responsible for the deaths on the ground, but said that further investigation was required.

Video posted on social media showed a large cluster of aid parcels suspended from parachutes drifting through the sky but appearing to get tangled before one, with its chute deployed but not fully opened, drops much more quickly than the rest.

The crisis in Gaza has seen supplies to zone severely limited with a lack of food and medical supplies.

US President Joe Biden has announced a plan to create a temporary port off the coast of Gaza to ship in supplies.

Israel has claimed there are routes in and that the supplies are ready to go but that the UN and aid agencies are beset by logistical problems.

The air drops have been coordinated by the US and Jordan in a bid to get life saving supplies into desperate Gazans.

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