Israel's top ally the United States said it began air-dropping aid into war-ravaged Gaza on Saturday, as the Palestinian territory's health ministry reported more than a dozen child malnutrition deaths.
The start of the US relief operation came hours after President Joe Biden, who has pushed Israel to allow more aid in, announced the move and spoke of the "need to do more" after nearly five months of devastating conflict.
The US confirmed it has dropped 38,000 meals into Gaza in coordination with Jordan. However, experts say this is nowhere near enough to meet the desperate demand of the besieged population and that it does not make up for Israeli restrictions on the transfer of food into the enclave via land crossings.
This comes as negotiations continue for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with a US official saying on Saturday that Israel has broadly agreed a deal.
"There's a framework deal. The Israelis have more or less accepted it," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
More than 30,000 people have died since the start of Israel's bombardment in Gaza on October 7, mostly women and children. Much of the Palestinian enclave has been reduced to rubble and there are now fears of famine and starvation.