Aid airdrops to Gaza raise questions about impact and safety
On Wednesday, Belgium will drop a further 12 tonnes of emergency aid over the Gaza Strip, the Belgian army announced at a press conference on Tuesday. Air Commander Bruno Beeckmans also expressed hope that local political actors would “come to their senses.”
On Sunday and Monday, the Belgian army had already airdropped a total of 31 tonnes of aid into Gaza. Tuesday served as a “rest day”, during which Belgian soldiers consulted with delegations from other countries, including Germany and Canada, to learn from their operations. A further 12,000 kilos will be dropped on Wednesday.
Aid organisations have recently raised concerns about the effectiveness of the airdrops. Many say the aid amounts to little more than a symbolic gesture and is not adequately adapted to the conditions on the ground. Few in Gaza, for instance, have access to working cooking stoves.
“This operation has more than just symbolic value,” Beeckmans said on Tuesday. He hopes the effort will also have political resonance. “I hope the political actors on the ground come to their senses.” According to another defence ministry representative, the airdrops are “not the best, but in this way they are the only and most efficient way” to support the Palestinian population.
The contents of the aid packages are currently dependent on the Jordanian authorities. Beeckmans noted that they provide the goods to be dropped. “Last year, we had put things like sanitary towels and condoms in the packages ourselves, but then they had to be removed. That was a culture shock for them.”
The actual impact of the airdrops remains uncertain. There are no Belgian troops on the ground in Gaza, and foreign journalists are not permitted entry. While the packages do not contain GPS trackers, the army can pinpoint their landing with an accuracy of around 50 metres. However, what happens to the supplies after they land is unknown to the Belgian defence ministry.
© BELGA VIDEO HAND OUT BELGIAN DEFENCE
On Monday, Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera reported that a Palestinian caregiver had died after being struck on the head by an aid package. According to Beeckmans, this report has not yet been confirmed, making it impossible to identify the package involved. “But there is no such thing as zero risk,” Beeckmans acknowledged.
Organisations such as the United Nations have previously warned of the dangers of airdrops. Last year, several Gazans were killed during similar air relief operations. Meanwhile, trucks carrying thousands of tonnes of aid remain stalled at the Israeli border. “It would be a matter of seconds for the Israeli army to allow that passage,” foreign minister Maxime Prévot told Belga last month.
Since Tuesday, Israel has again begun to allow limited deliveries of food and hygiene products into the Gaza Strip via local traders.
Captain Nicolas Cornet pictured with a sample of an air drop package during a press briefing of Belgian Defence on the air operation over Gaza, in Steenokkerzeel, on Tuesday 05 August 2025. © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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