Gaza Aid Controversy: Spain Denies Claims of Spoiled Food Drops

A viral video circulating on social media shows a young Gazan opening a humanitarian aid package, allegedly airdropped into the Gaza Strip, revealing moldy food in deplorable condition.

The video, which gained traction across various media platforms, shows the package’s contents, 24 food rations, including biscuits and coffee, being sold in local markets for $100. “Look, there’s mold here,” the individual says, displaying the spoiled goods to the camera.

The packages bear the logo of JOMIPSA, a food company based in Alicante, Spain, known for supplying humanitarian aid kits to European nations and NATO. Images on the company’s website confirm the packaging matches that seen in the video.

On August 1, Spain, in collaboration with France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, conducted an airdrop operation delivering 24 pallets of aid, approximately 12 tons, including 5,500 food rations meant to feed 11,000 people. Social media posts linked the video, first shared on August 2, to this Spanish-led effort.

Spain’s Foreign Ministry has vehemently denied the accusations, labeling them “false information.” In a statement to Euronews, the ministry said, “We categorically deny that aid was sent in an unfit condition for consumption.” They noted that without a batch number, the origin of the packages cannot be confirmed, adding that JOMIPSA supplies aid to multiple countries, not just Spain.

Spanish media outlets, including EFE and the Catalan newspaper Diari ARA, reported receiving additional images from Gaza showing identical packages sold in local markets. These reports corroborate the video’s claims about the contents, quality, and drop locations.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini criticized airdrops as “a hundred times more expensive” than truck deliveries and urged for open land crossings to streamline aid. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares echoed this sentiment, calling airdrops “a drop in the ocean” and advocating for “regular, sufficient, and safe” aid delivery methods.

Adding to the uproar, some Gazan social media users claimed the Spanish aid included pork products, which are non-halal and prohibited for the region’s Muslim population. The claim stemmed from a screenshot on JOMIPSA’s website listing a kit with “pork meatballs.”

Spain’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegation, asserting that all food sent to Gaza was halal, compliant with Islamic dietary laws. No evidence has surfaced to confirm pork was included in the shipments.