In Gaza, even humanitarian aid can turn deadly. On Saturday, 14-year-old Muhannad Eid was killed when an air-dropped aid box struck him in the head near the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Witnesses say the scene quickly turned chaotic as people scrambled for supplies, unaware of the danger falling from above. This is the fourth fatal incident linked to air-drops in less than a week, adding to a grim toll that now stands at 23 deaths and over 120 injuries since October 2023.
What was supposed to provide relief ended with another family burying their child, proving once again that aid deliveries from the sky are no guarantee of safety.
Aid groups and Palestinian officials have warned repeatedly that parachute drops are a flawed method, especially in crowded or unstable areas. Many boxes land in zones emptied by Israeli military operations or under Israeli control, putting desperate residents at risk of being targeted.
Others fall into the sea, causing drownings, or slam into rooftops and tents, leaving injuries and wreckage behind. Despite the warnings, countries like Germany, Italy, Jordan, and the UAE continue air-drops as Israel keeps all Gaza land crossings closed.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens each day. Israel’s blockade since March 2, 2025, has kept hundreds of aid trucks stalled at the border, with only small amounts allowed through—far below what is needed to prevent famine.
The UN estimates hundreds of trucks must enter daily to address severe shortages of food, medicine, and baby formula. The World Food Program reports that a third of Gaza’s population has gone several days without eating. With more than 61,300 Palestinians killed in the war and the territory teetering on the edge of mass starvation, every aid delivery matters.
But for Muhannad Eid’s family, the help from above turned into the blow that took his life—an outcome that should haunt every decision-maker involved.
