Joe Biden says humanitarian aid will be 'air-dropped' into Gaza

On Friday, president Joe Biden announced the move after at least 115 Palestinians were killed and more than 750 others were injured on Thursday, when witnesses said nearby Israeli troops opened fire as huge crowds raced to pull goods off an aid convoy.

Biden (below) said the air drops will begin in the “coming days”.

The move to begin air-dropping aid into Gaza is a sign of the increasing difficulty Palestinians are facing when it comes to accessing humanitarian aid, as Israel has made it harder for resources to get in.

There are currently only two crossing points in Gaza where aid is allowed to enter.

The UN has called for an inquiry into the deaths which occurred whilst Palestinians were trying to access aid.

Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a stampede linked to the chaos and that its troops fired at some in the crowd who they believed moved toward them in a threatening way.

The head of a Gaza City hospital that treated some of those wounded in the bloodshed surrounding the aid convoy said on Friday that more than 80% had been struck by gunfire, suggesting there had been heavy shooting by Israeli troops.

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Dr Mohammed Salha, the acting director of Al-Awda Hospital, told The Associated Press that 176 wounded were brought to the facility, of whom 142 had suffered gunshot wounds. The other 34 showed injuries from a stampede.

It brings the Palestinian death toll to more than 30,000 in the Gaza Strip since Israel’s military offensive increased on October 7, after Hamas-led militants stormed across southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 others hostage.

Biden made the announcement while hosting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House.

'Israel has an obligation to ensure more aid reaches Gaza'

Foreign Secretary David Cameron called for an urgent investigation over the “horrific” deaths of Palestinians waiting for the delivery of aid.

Cameron (below) said Israel had an “obligation to ensure that significantly more humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza”.

He said: “The deaths of people in Gaza waiting for an aid convoy yesterday were horrific. There must be an urgent investigation and accountability. This must not happen again.

“We can’t separate what happened yesterday from the inadequate aid supplies. In February, only half the number of trucks crossed into Gaza that did in January. This is simply unacceptable.

READ MORE: Israel still to provide evidence to back Hamas attack claims against UNRWA

“Israel has an obligation to ensure that significantly more humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza.

“We have identified a series of bottlenecks that need addressing: Israel must urgently open more crossings into Gaza; eliminate bureaucratic obstacles; enable aid operations in Gaza; and ensure there is a robust deconfliction mechanism in place to protect ordinary Palestinians, NGOs, medics and others providing aid.

“This tragedy only serves to underscore the importance of securing an immediate humanitarian pause. A sustained pause in the fighting is the only way to get life-saving aid in at the scale needed and free the hostages cruelly held by Hamas.”

'You've been let down by those in power'

Meanwhile, in Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf (below) said he is “deeply sorry” in a message to Palestinians who he said had been “let down by governments”.

In an interview with Middle East Eye, Yousaf said: “To the people of Gaza, my message to them – sorry. I’m deeply sorry because you have been let down by governments, you’ve been let down by those in power, you’ve been let down by multinational institutions that were meant to protect you.

“And we couldn’t even protect children. That is the first responsibility of any government, is to keep its citizens safe.

“And as a world community, as an international community, we have let you down. And I am so, so sorry how we have let you down.”