Jordan began air deliveries of 20 tonnes of aid to Gaza on Tuesday, a government spokesman said, as masses of displaced Palestinians returned to the north of the war-wrecked territory.
Fourteen Jordanian air force helicopters and two provided by the Italian military took off from King Abdullah II air base in the country's north to fly food and medical supplies into Khan Younes in southern Gaza.
The deliveries kick off what Jordan said would be eight days of shipments.
An AFP journalist was on board one of the helicopters, which landed at the Kissufim crossing to Israel.
"The launch of the air corridor coincides with the return of hundreds of thousands of people to the north of the Gaza Strip, and aim to alleviate their suffering," Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad Momani told a news conference.
Almost all of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once by the more than 15-month conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Thousands began returning to the north of Gaza on Monday after Israel and Hamas reached a deal for the release of another six Israeli captives, shoring up a fragile ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement.
Jordan, which has sent hundreds of humanitarian deliveries to Gaza since the conflict began, said it would deliver the aid to the World Food Programme, whose teams will be responsible for distributing it in Gaza.
With AFP
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