Airdrop aid to Gaza

France and Jordan teamed up to airdrop seven tonnes of aid to civilians and aid workers in Gaza, President Emmanuel Macron said Friday.

"In a difficult context, France and Jordan delivered aid by air to the population and those aiding them," Macron wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

"The humanitarian situation remains critical in Gaza" after three months of conflict, he added.

The French leader posted a photograph of an airman standing on the cargo ramp of a military plane, with parachutes visible in the sky below.

Macron's office said the "extremely complex operation" took place late Thursday, saying it had been made possible by close ties between the French and Jordanian militaries.

Each nation sent a C-130 transport plane with mixed French-Jordanian crews, bringing a total of seven tonnes of "humanitarian and health" aid, the presidency said.

The supplies dropped by France and Jordan were equipped with systems that remotely guided them to a Jordanian field hospital operating in the territory, the French presidency said.

This mission "allows us to show that such operations are possible," the Elysee added, without saying whether it would be repeated.