German military providing assistance to the civilian populace in Gaza.
In early August 2025, an internationally coordinated humanitarian air bridge operation is delivering essential supplies to the Gaza Strip, with Jordan playing a vital role. The air bridge, primarily operated through air drops due to the complete closure of ground crossings by Israel since March 2025, is a response to the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by border closures and conflict conditions.
The operation, organised by Jordan, includes military aircraft such as Germany’s Luftwaffe A400Ms, which take off from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in al-Azraq. On Friday, the Federal Foreign Office announced that the first two flights of the air force dropped 34 pallets with nearly 14 tons of food and medical aid over the Gaza Strip.
King Abdullah II of Jordan has called on the international community to renew support for this operation, aimed at improving the humanitarian situation of the civilian population in Gaza. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) stated that the aid action is crucial, emphasising that it's a matter of sheer survival, particularly for children.
However, Israel continues to restrict overland aid deliveries, allowing some convoys daily but insufficient to match UN needs. UN organizations, including the World Food Programme and UNICEF, remain engaged in negotiations with Israel to restore and secure humanitarian land corridors. They highlight that air drops are a temporary measure and cannot replace sustained ground transport for large-scale aid distribution.
Recent imagery and videos confirm ongoing airdrops into central Gaza, where local populations collect parachuted food supplies such as lentils amidst severe scarcity. Aid organizations have previously criticized the air bridge operation, assessing its scope as insufficient. According to these organizations, the entire amount of humanitarian aid provided by the air drops could fit into a single truck.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) is working to rebuild the established humanitarian land route with UN organizations. The humanitarian aid supplies for this operation were provided by the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO). The future plan, as emphasized by UN and international partners, is to restore safe land routes to Gaza for large-scale, sustainable aid delivery, as airdrops alone cannot meet the urgent humanitarian demands.
- The temporary air bridge operation, involving military aircraft like Germany's Luftwaffe A400Ms, is not only a part of general news but also linked to war-and-conflicts, as it is a response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
- The ongoing air drop operation in Gaza, while critical for providing immediate relief, is being criticized by aid organizations for its insufficient scope, underscoring the need for politics to address the issue and restore safe land routes for sustainable, large-scale aid delivery.
