France launched a humanitarian airlift operation into Gaza on Friday, delivering 40 tonnes of aid as it called on Israel to grant full access to address what it described as a growing famine crisis.

“In response to the urgent situation, we have carried out a food airdrop in Gaza,” President Emmanuel Macron announced on the social media platform X. “Thanks to our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners, and to our armed forces for their dedication.”

Macron emphasized that while the airdrops are critical, they are not sufficient. “Airdrops alone are not enough. Israel must open full humanitarian access to prevent famine,” he said.

Earlier in the day, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told broadcaster *franceinfo* that France was sending four flights—each carrying 10 tonnes of aid—from Jordan into Gaza.

On Tuesday, a global hunger monitoring organization warned that famine is taking hold in Gaza. It reported a surge in malnutrition, with children under five dying from hunger-related causes, while humanitarian access remains severely restricted.

France has previously taken part in six humanitarian airlift missions coordinated by the European Union since October 2023, delivering aid to Jordan and Egypt for eventual distribution to Gaza, according to Macron’s office.

So far, the EU-led airlift has coordinated over 60 flights, transporting more than 3,350 tonnes of aid—mostly in-kind donations—through Egypt and Jordan. However, a significant portion of that aid has yet to reach Gaza, blocked by the lack of Israeli authorization, the president’s office added. Photo by gloucester2gaza, Wikimedia commons.