Flying aid to Gaza: Emirati pilot 'honoured to offer lifeline to Palestinians'

Capt Asmaa Saeed Al Ali has been transporting crucial humanitarian aid to Gaza since November

Aid is loaded on to a military plane at Al Arish International Airport, Egypt, to be dropped over Gaza. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Aid is loaded on to a military plane at Al Arish International Airport, Egypt, to be dropped over Gaza

Aid is loaded on to a military plane at Al Arish International Airport, Egypt, to be dropped over Gaza

Aid is loaded on to a military plane at Al Arish International Airport, Egypt, to be dropped over Gaza

Aid is loaded on to a military plane at Al Arish International Airport, Egypt, to be dropped over Gaza

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Capt Asmaa Saeed Al Ali says flying crucial humanitarian aid into Gaza gave her a sense of honour “to offer a lifeline to embattled Palestinians”.

She is part of the first UAE team that headed to the Egyptian city of Al Arish as part of the Gallant Knight 3 operation in November to support those caught in the conflict.

The National caught up with the Emirati military pilot as pallets filled with medical and food aid were being loaded into the C-130 aircraft at Al Arish ahead of an an air operation.

“I was here from the beginning,” she said, calling it her “national duty”.

Capt Asmaa Al Ali is part of the first UAE team that headed to the Egyptian city of Al Arish as part of the Gallant Knight 3 operation. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Apart from relief aid, Capt Al Ali also flew doctors and teams involved in building the UAE's floating and field hospitals and desalination plants into the Egyptian port city, along with equipment and other items required for the medical facilities.

Flying the C-130 and C-17 aircraft, she was also involved in evacuating injured Palestinians.

Capt Al Ali has also carried out three deliveries by air to areas in Gaza that were not easily accessible by road.

“It is an honour to be able to offer a lifeline to embattled Palestinians caught up in the conflict,” she said, adding how deliveries are crucial to help Gazans who face dire shortages of food and basic necessities.

“I felt honoured when I heard in the news that they were called 'Birds of Goodness'.”

'Each street has a painful story'

Flying above the besieged Gaza Strip, Capt Al Ali said she would often ask her assistant pilot to take control of the C-130 aircraft so she could survey the conditions below.

“I was curious to see what's happening on the ground.”

The images of destruction and devastation evoke a mixed feeling, she said.

“Part of me is happy to see pallets of aid being dropped to help the people, but it is sad to see cities and streets left destroyed due to the conflict.

“You feel each street has a painful story to tell.”

An aid airdrop by the UAE to help suffering people inside Gaza. Photo: UAE Ministry of Defence

So far, the UAE has carried out dozens of deliveries by air since February, partnering with teams from the Egyptian and Jordanian Air Force to ensure vital aid reaches remote parts of Gaza.

Capt Al Ali believes it's a personal victory for her and her country if the air deliveries “bring a smile on a child's face”.

“Seeing the parachutes from the sky is like seeing the UAE's hands reaching the people inside Gaza.”

The UAE has offered essential financial and humanitarian assistance since the war broke out on October 7, under President Sheikh Mohamed's directives.

Figures released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June showed the Emirates had provided 33,100 tonnes of urgent supplies to Gaza since November.

The aid was delivered by 320 flights, seven ships and 1,243 lorries up until June 13. That amounts to an additional 1,100 tonnes since May.

Talking about the “values instilled in her from a young age”, she credits the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, for teaching her to “always look for peace”.

Palestinians collect food from airdropped aid parcels in Khan Younis. AFP

“Our leaders represent peace, and they taught us to help people in need. It is not only a duty or our job, but we are doing what our leaders taught us,” Capt Al Ali added.

She said the “operations to help our brothers in Gaza” will continue.

“I consider myself lucky for having got the opportunity to take on this humanitarian duty,” she said, adding that she's ready to serve anytime and anywhere.

“As an Emirati military pilot, I’m always ready for any duty in any place and at any time.”