Canada announced on Monday that it has delivered humanitarian aid to Gaza via airdrop, as the region continues to suffer under nearly 22 months of intense Israeli military operations. Ottawa once again accused Israel of violating international law.
In an official statement, the Canadian government said: “The Canadian Armed Forces deployed a CC-130J Hercules aircraft to carry out an airdrop of essential humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip, in support of Global Affairs Canada. A total of 21,600 pounds of aid was delivered.”
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, this marked the first time the Canadian Armed Forces conducted a humanitarian airdrop over Gaza using their own aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed that six countries, including Canada, participated in the airdrop of 120 aid packages for Gaza’s civilians.
The other participating nations were Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Germany, and Belgium.
Canada said last week it plans to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza.
Canada also said on Monday that Israeli restrictions have posed challenges for humanitarian agencies.
“This obstruction of aid is a violation of international humanitarian law and must end immediately,” Canada’s government said.
The Israeli embassy in Ottawa had no immediate comment. Israel denies accusations of violating international law and blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza.
Israel cut off food supplies to Gaza in March and then lifted that blockade in May – but with restrictions that it said were needed to prevent aid from being diverted to militant groups.
President Donald Trump also claimed Hamas were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it.
However, Reuters reported late last month that an internal US government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of US-funded humanitarian supplies.
Israel says it is taking steps for more aid to reach Gaza’s population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, allowing airdrops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show.
Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s subsequent military assault has killed over 60,000 Palestinians.
It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza’s entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations.