A UAE aid ship carrying 7,166 tonnes of supplies left Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi on Monday to deliver crucial supplies for Gaza.
The Khalifa is heading to Al Arish Port in Egypt laden with 4,372 tonnes of food, 1,433 tonnes of shelter materials, 860 tonnes of medical supplies and 501 tonnes of health supplies, state news agency Wam reported.
It is the largest aid vessel to be sent by the Emirates and comes as part of Operation Gallant Knight 3. It brings the total volume of aid sent by the UAE to Gaza to 77,266 tonnes.
The ship is also carrying a fully equipped field hospital that can accommodate 400 patients and 16 ambulances, Hamoud Al Efari, the UAE Aid mission’s co-ordinator, told The National.
“The ship will arrive in the Egyptian city of Al Arish in the next two weeks,” he said. "It has a field hospital as a gift from the UAE to the medical sector in Gaza."
The vessel is carrying 20 tankers to ensure Palestinians in Gaza can access clean drinking water.
“The cargo will be stored in the UAE’s warehouses in Al Arish and later loaded on to lorries to cross the border into the strip,” Mr Al Efari added.
"It is the eighth ship and the largest to support or Palestinian brothers in Gaza," said Ahmed Sari Al Mazrouei, secretary general of the Emirates Red Crescent. "It has a variety of food and shelter aid provided by Emirates Red Crescent and other humanitarian groups."
Almost two years of support
The UAE's Operation Gallant Knight 3 project was launched in 2023 by President Sheikh Mohamed. It has been carried out in collaboration with Emirates Red Crescent, and humanitarian and charitable institutions in the UAE.
The UAE's seventh aid ship, carrying 2,500 tonnes of aid for the people of Gaza, was sent earlier this month.
That shipment, which initially docked at Ashdod in Israel before being sent on to the enclave, was laden with food packages containing essential goods such as flour, dates, milk and tea.
Tackling dehydration
Khalifa's 20 water tankers will go some way to alleviating the issue of dehydration in Gaza, with more than 80 per cent of water facilities in the enclave now destroyed.
Last week, the UAE announced the launch of a project to supply desalinated water to the southern Gaza Strip through a new pipeline.
Under the project, water will be delivered from the Egyptian border. The 6.7km pipe will link the desalination plant built by the Emirates on the Egyptian side of the frontier to displaced Palestinians between Khan Younis and Rafah.
It aims to serve 600,000 affected Gaza residents, providing 15 litres of desalinated water per person each day.
“The UAE has been and continues to be the primary supporter of Gaza across various sectors, from the construction of desalination plants to the provision of water tankers, well drilling and network maintenance, all the way to this vital project that seeks to secure drinking water for the most affected areas,” said Sharif Al Nairab, media official for Operation Gallant Knight 3.
Uncertain future
The aid shipment comes with ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas at a crossroads.
Hamas is considering giving mediators until the end of the week to reach a deal or it will withdraw from the current talks in Doha, The National reported on Sunday.
The latest round of talks mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt began on July 6. Significant progress has since been made on some issues but Israel and Hamas remain at odds over several key questions.
