France on Friday started to air-drop 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza as it urged Israel to allow full access to the area which it said was slipping into famine.

Parachuting aid is expensive and inefficient, experts say, noting that at least five people in Gaza were killed in airdrop accidents last year.

"We airdropped aid to Gazan civilians and we called on other nations to join us. Some have already done so," the PMO added.