A Royal Navy ship will be dispatched to Gaza as part of Britain's £9.7 million humanitarian package.

 

The UK has stated that it will send a Royal Navy cruiser to Gaza to assist in delivering more aid there.

The Government also announced a £9.7 million package for equipment support, logistical knowledge, and supply supplies for a humanitarian corridor between Gaza and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean, along with the vessel, the identity of which is withheld for security reasons.

Amid concerns that 1.1 million people risk 'imminent' starvation in a 'catastrophic' humanitarian situation, the RAF airdropped more than 10 tonnes of food into Gaza for the first time last week.

Lord David Cameron, the foreign secretary, stated that in order to "ease the desperate plight of some of the world's most vulnerable people," the UK and its partners must "explore all options," including air and sea delivery.

The announcement of the United Kingdom's backing for the global relief endeavour coincided with Israel's sixth anniversary of the October 7 attacks, during which Hamas murdered over 1,100 individuals and abducted over 250 others.
Additionally, it has been about a week after an airstrike by the Israel Defence Forces killed three British relief workers in Gaza; the IDF later acknowledged that the attack was a "grave mistake."



The UK government is still demanding more security precautions to keep relief workers in Gaza from getting entangled in the conflict.

"The situation in Gaza is dire, and there is a real prospect of famine," stated Lord Cameron. We are still dedicated to providing assistance to individuals in such great need.

"To get aid in as quickly and securely as possible, we are setting up a new temporary pier off the coast of Gaza in collaboration with the US, Cyprus, and other partners."

"Land access is still essential for providing aid at the current required scale." The UK has long called for the opening of Erez and the Port of Ashdod, and it is greatly appreciated.

Additionally, Israel has committed to allowing at least 500 relief vehicles to enter Gaza each day.

But in order to alleviate the hopeless situation of some of the most vulnerable individuals on the planet, we must keep looking at all available possibilities, including travel by air and sea.

 

40 tonnes of goods have been dropped into Gaza by the British armed forces in recent weeks in an effort to alleviate the shortage of supplies reaching the Palestinian people.

Water, bread, and infant formula are among the goods that have parachuted into the area during the five plane drops.

Delivering relief, according to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, the RAF had a 'vital role'.

Going forward, he said, we are collaborating with foreign partners to establish a humanitarian marine corridor connecting Gaza and Cyprus.

"A new temporary pier on Gaza's coast will be essential to supporting these efforts, serving as a home for cargo ships that will transport aid by sea."