<b>Live updates: Follow the latest from </b><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/palestine-israel/2024/01/31/live-israel-gaza-war-hamas-tunnels/" target="_blank"><b>Israel-Gaza</b></a> The UAE is sending a ship to <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/palestine-israel/2024/02/01/gaza-truce-draft-deal-us-palestinian-state/" target="_blank">Gaza</a> carrying aid including food, medicines, shelter materials, and essentials for women and children. The ship left Fujairah Port on Saturday with provisions desperately need by Palestinians affected by the Israel-Gaza war. More than 4,500 tonnes of goods, including mattresses, tents and food collected by UAE charitable groups will be delivered to help Palestinians prepare for Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar. Flying the UAE flag, the vessel will arrive in about 15 days at Egypt’s Al Arish port, where the aid will then be transported by lorries to the Rafah border with Gaza. About 154 tonnes of material for building temporary shelters and 87 tonnes of medical aid were stacked high inside the ship’s hold on Saturday. Rashid Mubarak Al Mansouri, secretary general of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority, spoke to <i>The National</i> as he oversaw the operation in Fujairah. “There are more than 2,000 tents, medical aid and food – this is in preparation for Ramadan,” he said. “We are here to help the people of Gaza during this time. “This is support for the old and young people and Gaza society because of what they are going through.” More than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed and 65,000 wounded since Israel launched strikes on the enclave on October 7. This came after Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities killing about 1,200 people and abducting 240. The UN has said it is becoming impossible to meet the needs for food and shelter of tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians packed into southern Gaza to flee the Israeli bombardment. The ship that left Fujairah on Saturday is the second to depart from the Emirates in the past two months as part of the UAE's Gallant Knight 3 operation to support the Palestinian people. Mr Al Mansouri said the UAE was committed to assisting the Palestinian people. “There are blankets, food and necessities for children and ladies,” he said. “We will send more for Ramadan. We plan to send more ships. When the ship reaches Arish, the material will move in trucks by land to Rafah.” The latest aid was provided by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Works, the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation and the UAE Red Crescent Authority.
