Germany to launch Gaza aid airlift with Jordan’s support, Merz says

Germany plans to establish an airlift to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip with the support of Jordan, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday.

The operation is set to begin “immediately,” he said following a meeting of the Security Cabinet in Berlin.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will work closely with France and the United Kingdom, both of which have expressed willingness to join the effort to transport food and aid, Merz said.

“We know this can only be a small help for the people in Gaza,” the chancellor said. “But at least it is a contribution that we are glad to make.”

Severe shortages of food and water in Gaza have prompted warnings from UN agencies of “catastrophic hunger” and the risk of imminent famine in the sealed-off Palestinian territory.

Jordan has served as a key hub for humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and has parachuted food into the territory for the past two days.