A UAE aid convoy comprising 22 water tankers and five ambulances crossed into the Gaza Strip on Thursday.
It travelled via the Rafah crossing and from there to the Kerem Shalom crossing, state news agency Wam reported.
The relief programme, part of the Operation Gallant Knight 3 effort, is also preparing to send more than 20 additional ambulances in the coming weeks, in addition to food and medical aid, shelter supplies, and other relief projects.
Last month, a desalinated water pipeline extending from Rafah, Egypt, to Khan Younis in southern Gaza opened. The pipeline transports two million gallons of water daily, serving approximately one million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
This brings the total amount of aid delivered in the operation to more than 90,000 tonnes.
Focus on water
The pipeline project builds on other Emirati efforts in Gaza – including the establishment of six desalination plants, proving reservoirs and tankers, and maintaining wells.
The moves provide a vital lifeline for residents, helping to alleviate the water crisis impacting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
More than 80 per cent of water facilities in Gaza have been destroyed since Israel launched its war in 2023, leaving many people struggling from dehydration on a daily basis.
In June, Unicef warned of a “man-made drought” as so much of the territory’s drinking water system was dysfunctional.
