Belgium plans to conduct a new humanitarian air drop in Gaza on Wednesday, the Belgian Defence Colonel Bruno Beckmans announced on Tuesday, highlighting the desperate and critical conditions faced in Gaza.
To date, Belgium has already dropped 31 tonnes of aid in the region. A contingent of Belgian military personnel departed for Jordan on Friday as part of the 'Cerulean Skies 2' mission. The team includes members from the 15th Wing of the Air Transport (Melsbroek) and the RavAir platoon, the air supply unit of the Special Operations Regiment.
The Belgian teams have already completed two air drops and are stationed in Zarka, Jordan, northeast of the capital Amman. Jordan, a close neighbour of Israel, is coordinating all the air drop operations, in which France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and Egypt are also participating.
Humanitarian aid loeded in a Belgian Defense A400M transport aircraft. Credit: Belgian Defence/Belga
"The choice of drop zones is coordinated by Jordan with Israel and on-site agents," explained Beeckmans. "We receive a dozen coordinates, and around each coordinate, a plane performs a drop. We coordinate with other nations and decide based on weather conditions, each aircraft’s capabilities, and the type of cargo."
While the drops are precise within a 50-metre range, they pose risks to the people in the nearby area. According to the Arabic news channel Al Jazeera, a Palestinian nurse in Gaza was killed on Monday after being struck on the head by a package dropped from an aircraft.
"Nothing indicates that Belgium is responsible, but we are investigating," stated Beckmans, acknowledging that "zero risk does not exist in conflict zones."
