The Belgian and Luxembourg armed forces are exploring potential participation in an international humanitarian mission to airdrop aid over Gaza, according to a Tuesday announcement from Luxembourg’s Ministry of Defence.
The joint Belgian-Luxembourg A400M transport unit – which previously conducted Middle East operations in early 2024 – has been requested by Belgian authorities to join the German- and Jordanian-led airlift. The mission aims to deliver essential supplies including food, water, and medicine to Gaza’s civilian population.
While the airlift represents a multinational coordination effort, its practical impact remains contested. Several international aid organisations have criticised such airdrops as largely symbolic, describing them as “a drop in the ocean” compared to Gaza’s overwhelming needs. Critics also highlight risks to civilians during airborne deliveries.
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reinforced these concerns, stating airdrops cannot prevent Gaza’s escalating “humanitarian catastrophe.” The IPC emphasised that only “immediate, unimpeded” ground access could stop rapidly rising “starvation and death” in Gaza.
