Senator Chris Van Hollen has said Israel has denied him and Senator Jeff Merkley permission to join a Jordanian flight to airdrop food in Gaza.

“Netanyahu is restricting aid trucks into Gaza — the best way to get food to starving people there — so Jordan is delivering some with air drops,” Van Hollen wrote on X.

“The Jordanians said Senator Jeff Merkley and I could join one of those flights to see the devastation, but Israel denied authorisation for our scheduled flight.”

He added that Israel had also denied the duo’s entry into Gaza to “see first-hand the destruction” of Gaza.

Opinion

Editorial

Collective wisdom
05 Mar, 2026

Collective wisdom

IN times like these, when war is raging in the neighbourhood, it is important for the state to bring on board all...
Economic impact
Updated 05 Mar, 2026

Economic impact

AS the confrontation between the US-Israel combine and Iran escalates across the Middle East, increasing regional...
Shrouds of innocence
05 Mar, 2026

Shrouds of innocence

TWO-and-a-half years of relentless slaughtering of Palestinian children, with complete impunity and in the most...
Regional climbdown
04 Mar, 2026

Regional climbdown

WITH the region in flames, Pakistan must calibrate its foreign policy accordingly; it has to deal with some ...
Burning questions
Updated 04 Mar, 2026

Burning questions

A credible, independent, and time-bound inquiry is now necessary after the US Consulate protest ended in gruesome bloodshed.
Governance failure
04 Mar, 2026

Governance failure

BENEATH Lahore’s signal-free corridors and road infrastructure lies a darker truth: crumbling sewerage lines,...