Large blocks of supplies are being loaded into a US military cargo plane, 1,000 miles east of Gaza, as the morning sun peeks over the desert surrounding Qatar's al-Udeid airport, casting shadows on the crew.
They ram 80 crates—each block covered in canvas, attached to a cardboard pallet, and topped with a parachute—into the enormous interior of the aircraft.
Today, feeding Gaza is a multi-national, intricate, and dangerous effort. This week saw the RAF conduct its first two relief missions. Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France, and Germany have also participated.
This was US troops' eighteenth mission flown. They must go from Doha to the small, under siege battle zone in six hours in order to drop forty thousand pre-made meals there.
It is more costly, less effective, and more difficult to manage than other methods of providing relief.
Twelve individuals are said to have perished earlier this week while attempting to recover relief packages that had fallen into the water. It was said that amid the scramble to get there, another six were crushed.
Standing behind a giant American flag at the cockpit entry, Maj. Boone, the mission commander, stated, "We're very aware of all the news, and we're trying to limit casualties."
"We're exerting every effort possible. To allow Gazans more time to see the parachute and move aside, we employ a chute that descends more slowly.
"We also have assets overhead that clear the drop zone, so we won't drop if there's any group of people there."
He said that after carefully planning their path, they decided to drop the relief packages over the sea so that the crates with broken parachutes would fall into the ocean rather than into people or structures along the Gaza shore, which is a safer and more open area.
It's not at all simple.
Crowds swarm to follow a large military cargo jet that they can hear for kilometers around.
Many people in desperation use drastic measures to get the help, and many end up with nothing.
As the number of victims has increased, Hamas has urged that the air drops stop, calling them "useless" and posing a "real danger to the lives of hungry civilians".
The lack of a planned distribution system for the help once it lands raises the hazards.
The jet ramp opens as we swoop low over Gaza, revealing the edges of the Strip's shattered capital city, with its surviving tower blocks protruding like lone bare fangs.
US food packages are being sent to areas where US-made weaponry have already left their mark.
Below us, the coast's roads were clogged with traffic, both cars and pedestrians traveling swiftly in the same direction, perhaps trying to outpace the aircraft.
We watched as the parachutes slid out, becoming little dots in a matter of seconds. While many dangled over the edge, two plummeted straight into the lake when their parachute malfunctioned.
Maj Ryan DeCamp, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, responded, "It's not perfect," when asked if supply drops were the best way to address Gaza's food issue.
"We know there's upwards of two million people who need food on the ground - innocent civilians who did not ask for this conflict - and we're dropping meals in the tens of thousands."Does it seem insignificant at all? Perhaps a tiny bit, but if a family on the ground received any of this relief, it might literally save their lives."
"We have attempted twice this morning, but to no avail," Ahmed Tafesh, a resident of Gaza City, added. We hope to eat today if we can at least acquire a can of beans or hummus to sustain ourselves. Most individuals are no longer full of vitality; they are overwhelmed by hunger."
The UN's top court ordered Israel to allow an urgent "unhindered" flow of supplies this week after a recent global report warned of impending starvation in Gaza.
"If people are starving and we're giving them food, that's the best we can do right now," said Major Boone.
"I am aware that other individuals are attempting [strategies that need more time].
Within 36 hours after receiving notification, my team of C-17s arrived and began working to provide food to those in need."
Israel claims that accusations that it is obstructing aid are "wholly unfounded" and has rejected both the famine assessment and the UN court decision. It claims that Hamas is stealing assistance.
However, one of the concerns dividing the US and Israel over this battle at the present is humanitarian help for Gaza.
In order to swiftly deliver more help, the US is constructing a temporary dock in Gaza. 48 kilometers (30 miles) from Gaza City, Israel's main cargo port is closed to humanitarian supplies.
Israel's prime minister has been under intense pressure from US President Joe Biden to increase land convoy access, which is still the most efficient means of rapidly delivering significant supplies of relief.
Election politics in the US are being affected by scenes of sick, emaciated children dying in Gazan hospitals, but he has not been ready to use US weaponry supply as leverage to press his demand.
The number of aid flights between Arab and Western countries is rising. They release little amounts of food into a community in need in a risky and ineffective manner.
They are a striking final option.
Two straightforward questions determine their worth: to what extent do they relieve the strain on Gaza's citizens, and to what extent do they relieve pressure on governments in other regions?
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