UK joins nine countries in largest aid drop into Gaza since war began
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron confirmed on Tuesday that the UK will not suspend arms exports to Israel, ITV News Correspondent Robert Moore reports
Britain has joined nine countries in the largest international aid airdrop in a single day into Gaza since the conflict began.
Led by the Jordanian Armed Forces and coinciding with Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, hundreds of tonnes of resources were delivered into the war-torn enclave.
The US, Germany, France, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Egypt also took part, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
The Israeli military said it has withdrawn some of its ground forces from Khan Younis, but a 'significant force' remains in other areas of the Gaza strip, ITV News' John Irvine reports
The operation came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his pledge to invade the southern city of Rafah, saying “there is a date” for the planned operation on Monday.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza, but even Israel’s closest ally, the US, has joined the international community in opposing the incursion and demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken then said that no date for an offensive had been confirmed to US officials by Israel.
On Tuesday more than 10 tonnes of aid, including ready-to-eat meals, water and rice, was airdropped along the northern coastline of Gaza.
An RAF A400M plane flew an hour from Amman, Jordan to carry out the airdrop, with other countries’ aircraft dropping aid throughout the course of the day.
"Faced with the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, France continues to deliver medicine and food to the population. With Jordan and other partners, today's air operation transported more than 110 tonnes of cargo. The effort continues," French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X.
Lord Cameron said Britain would “continue to push Israel as hard as we can” to boost aid access.
In a statement, the Foreign Secretary said: “Thousands of people in desperate need will benefit from this united effort.
“The UK remains ready to play its part in getting supplies in by land, air and sea, but the people of Gaza need more.
“Words must turn into action – this is essential to avoid an even more severe humanitarian crisis.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The prospect of famine in Gaza is real and today’s international airdrop will provide life-saving food supplies for civilians.
“This is the sixth RAF airdrop in recent weeks, delivering over 53 tonnes of aid, including water, flour and baby formula.
“After six months of war in Gaza, the toll on civilians continues to grow. We continue to stand by Israel’s right to defeat the threat from Hamas terrorists, who have failed the people of Gaza and hide behind civilians.
“This terrible conflict must end. The hostages must be released and the aid must flood in.”
Sunday marked six months since the war began and almost a week since seven aid workers, including three British nationals, were killed in an Israeli air strike.
John Chapman, 57, James “Jim” Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, were among those who died on April 1, prompting condemnation from London and other Western capitals.
There have been calls for Britain to suspend arms sales to Israel in the wake of the killings, which the Israel Defence Forces said were a “grave mistake.”
The UK’s arms exports regime would prevent the supply of weapons if there is a “clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.
But the government has refused to bow to pressure from opposition parties and some Conservatives to publish its legal advice on Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law.
Lord Cameron reaffirmed on Tuesday that the UK would continue to allow arms exports to Israel in a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The British foreign secretary said he had reviewed the most recent legal advice about the situation in Gaza, and this left the UK’s position on export licences “unchanged”.
Speaking from Washington DC, he said: “This is consistent with the advice that I and other ministers have received, and as ever we will keep the position under review.”
Lord Cameron said continuing to allow arms exports put the UK in line with other “like-minded countries” and reiterated that the UK had a “robust legal process” for assessing those licences.
Israel has withdrawn troops from Khan Younis, another southern city where they were deployed last year as part of its ground offensive that came in response to a Hamas-led attack on October 7.
Israeli authorities say 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and roughly 250 people taken hostage.
More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in the following seven months, according to local health authorities, with most of the territory’s 2.3 million people displaced and vast swathes of the Gaza Strip now uninhabitable.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...