Israel-Hamas war: US military planes airdrop thousands of meals into Gaza

Three military planes dropped pallets of food into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, US officials said, as the territory faces a growing humanitarian crisis after months of war.

Three C-130 cargo planes dropped about 38,000 meals into Gaza, according to officials cited by news agencies.

The air deliveries are expected to be the first of many, as announced by President Joe Biden on Friday. The aid is being coordinated with Jordan, which has also been using planes to deliver food to Gaza. 

The White House has said the airdrops will be a prolonged effort, and that Israel was supportive of the airdrops. Other countries, including France, Egypt and Jordan, have also carried out airdrops of aid into the region.

Cargo ship attacked by Houthis in February sinks in Red Sea

Yemen's internationally recognized government on Saturday said that the Rubymar cargo vessel — attacked by Houthi rebels on February 18 — has sunk. This was separately confirmed by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.

The vessel sunk during strong winds, Yemen's official SABA news agency quoted a government crisis group as saying. The officials warned of potential for an "environmental disaster."

The Iran-backed Houthis attacked the UK-owned, Belize-flagged vessel that was carrying 41,000 tons of fertilizer.

According to the US military, the attack caused significant damage and an oil slick 18 miles (29 kilometers) wide.

The vessel is the first to have been sunk since the Houthis began launching attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

Because of the continuing attacks, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea and Suez Canal — the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe.

Instead, they are sailing around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, which takes several days longer and adds to costs.

Israel 'more or less' approves cease-fire outline, US official says

Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed six-week cease-fire in Gaza, a US official told reporters on Saturday, adding that the deal had yet to be approved by the Hamas militants . Hamas is designated as a terrorist group by the US, Germany, Israel and the European Union, among other governments.

The senior official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

"The hostages have to be released," the official told reporters. "The deal is basically there. But I don't want to create expectations one way or the other."

He said Israel had "more or less accepted" the six-week cease-fire proposal, which also involves the release of Israeli hostages who are considered vulnerable. Israel has yet to formally confirm the plan.

"Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas, and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can," the official said.

Hamas officials arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Saturday with cease-fire talks set to resume. The AP news agency cited a senior Egyptian official as saying mediators from Cairo and Doha expected to receive a response from Hamas during the talks.

Separately, a source close to Hamas  told the French AFP news agency that the militant group would deliver its "official answer" to the plan, which resulted from talks with Israeli negotiators in Paris late last month. 

Mediators have been pushing for a cease-fire ahead of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, which begins in the evening of March 10. The death toll in Gaza has exceeded 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.