UAE expands lifesaving support to Gaza with 66th relief airdrop
GAZA (WAM) The UAE on Friday carried out its 66th humanitarian airdrop over the Gaza Strip as part of its 'Birds of Goodness' initiative under the wider Operation Chivalrous Knight 3.The airdrop was conducted in collaboration with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and with the participation of Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Italy.The participating aircraft delivered new food supplies and critical humanitarian aid targeted specifically at hard-to-reach areas inaccessible by land routes. The effort aims to provide urgent relief to displaced and affected families across the Gaza Strip.With this latest operation, the total volume of airdropped aid has surpassed 3,873 tonnes, underscoring the UAE's steadfast commitment to standing by the Palestinian people and supporting broader international humanitarian efforts.
The UAE reaffirmed its continued coordination with regional and international partners to ensure the rapid and effective delivery of aid, aligned with the urgent needs of Gaza's population amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
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Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
Egypt-Hamas tensions at all-time high over demand to disarm and leave Gaza
Egypt's support for calls to disarm Hamas has reignited tensions with the Palestinian movement and stalled ceasefire negotiations, Egyptian and Palestinian sources told Middle East Eye. The rift emerged after Cairo relayed messages to Hamas leaders in Doha in late April, demanding the group surrender its weapons and withdraw fighters from Gaza - a position Hamas firmly rejects. The push for disarmament reflects mounting pressure from the United States and key Arab states. On 29 July, Egypt joined Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and the Arab League in endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution, which calls on Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. According to Egyptian sources, Cairo had initially resisted linking disarmament to ceasefire negotiations. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters However, under sustained pressure from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Egypt shifted its stance, aligning itself with regional efforts to initiate what has been described as a "surrender process". This position aligns with Israeli preconditions, backed by Washington, for ending the war on Gaza. Sources said Egypt had previously insisted that disarmament be part of a broader political settlement tied to ending the Israeli occupation. Cairo had rejected any proposals requiring Hamas to disarm prior to the establishment of a Palestinian state. 'Egypt's alignment with the American agenda is detrimental to both Egypt and Hamas' - Moataz Khalil, Former Egypt UN envoy This earlier stance was reiterated by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during a visit to Washington in March, citing Israel's failure to defeat Hamas militarily. "It is unreasonable to ask mediators to achieve through politics what Israel could not achieve through months of military operations," Abdelatty said during his trip to Washington. Two diplomatic sources in Cairo said the policy shift was also driven by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the breakdown of diplomatic channels. Egyptian authorities are especially concerned by Israeli efforts to forcibly displace Gaza's population into northern Sinai. Reports of a large-scale tent camp being constructed in the Rafah area, near the Egyptian border, to house more than half a million displaced people, have drawn condemnation, with many describing it as a concentration camp. This, along with growing public anger in Egypt over what is perceived as government complicity and an inadequate response to the crisis, has further fuelled tensions. Egypt's credibility 'undermined' Moataz Ahmadein Khalil, Egypt's former ambassador to the United Nations, told Middle East Eye that Egypt's shift reflects Washington's view of Cairo's role as "primarily a lever to pressure Hamas into accepting American and Israeli demands". He explained that this perception stems from Egypt's acute economic crisis and its reliance on political backing from the US in securing support from international and regional donors, as well as direct financial aid from Washington. "Egypt's alignment with the American agenda is detrimental to both Egypt and Hamas," argued Khalil. "Accommodating Washington's demands would only encourage Trump to ask for more and would ultimately undermine Egypt's credibility as a mediator. "Furthermore, this approach fails to leverage the mediation role to serve Egypt's own national interests, independent of US or Israeli goals." Palestinians 'let down' The Egypt-Hamas tensions reached their peak in late July following a televised speech by Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader. The Doha-based leader made a direct appeal to the Egyptian people and their religious, military, community and intellectual leaders to help break the siege on Gaza. "Our Palestinian people feel let down," Hayya said. "Will your brothers in Gaza die of hunger while they are just across your border and within your reach?" he asked. He criticised the air-dropping of aid, describing it as a "tragic farce", and criticised the closure of the Egyptian-Palestinian Rafah border crossing. Exclusive: UK pushed Arab states to condemn Hamas in UN conference statement Read More » "We look to the great country of Egypt to say definitively that Gaza will not die of hunger, and that it will not allow the enemy to keep the Rafah crossing closed to the needs of Gaza." According to one Egyptian security source, Cairo responded to Hayya's speech with deep anger, viewing it as incitement against the government and an attempt to hold Egypt responsible for Gaza's starvation. Officials feared the speech could provoke popular unrest and threaten national stability. They also interpreted the call to forcibly open the Rafah crossing as a dangerous appeal to involve Cairo in the war against Israel and as a threat to Egypt's national security. Following the speech by Hayya, regarded by Egyptian officials as one of the Hamas leaders closest to Cairo, the Egyptian regime launched a fierce media campaign against Hamas. Numerous pro-government journalists and online platforms criticised the group. Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt's State Information Service, described Hayya's remarks as "extremely dangerous". MP Mostafa Bakry, known for his ties to Egypt's intelligence services, called on Hamas's leadership to issue a statement absolving Egypt of any role in the blockade and thanking it for the aid provided. A source from within the Palestinian movement told MEE: "Hayya's appeal was made in the spirit of goodwill, brotherhood and the deep sense of hope the people of Gaza hold towards the Egyptians, and not as incitement." The source added that, amid the severe deterioration of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and the complete political deadlock in negotiations, "the only door left to knock on is that of our brothers in Egypt". MEE contacted the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but did not receive a response by publication.
Sharjah 24
2 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Arab-Islamic Committee rejects Israeli Gaza occupation plan
Additional participating countries include the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of Chad, Republic of Djibouti, Republic of The Gambia, State of Kuwait, State of Libya, Malaysia, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Sultanate of Oman, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Federal Republic of Somalia, Republic of the Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Republic of Yemen. The committee collectively expresses its strong condemnation and categorical rejection of Israel's announcement of its intention to impose full military control over the Gaza Strip. Declaration of Israeli plan called a dangerous escalation We consider this announcement a dangerous and unacceptable escalation, a flagrant violation of international law, and an attempt to entrench the illegal occupation and impose a fait accompli/ facts on the ground by force, in contravention of international legitimacy. Continued violations and humanitarian catastrophe We affirm that this declared course of action by Israel constitutes a continuation of its grave violations, including killing and starvation, attempts at forced displacement and annexation of Palestinian land, settler terrorism, which are crimes that may amount to crimes against humanity. Such actions obliterate any opportunity for peace, undermine regional and international efforts towards de-escalation and peaceful resolution of the conflict, and exacerbate the severe violations against the Palestinian people, who have faced for nearly two years a comprehensive aggression and blockade affecting all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, alongside serious violations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Key demands of the Ministerial Committee In light of this dangerous development, we assert the following: The immediate and comprehensive cessation of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, and an end to the ongoing violations committed by the occupying forces against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The demand that Israel, as the occupying power, immediately and unconditionally allow the entry of humanitarian assistance at scale into the Gaza Strip — including food, medicine, and fuel — and ensure the freedom of operation of relief agencies and international humanitarian organisations, in accordance with international humanitarian law and its applicable principles. Support for the efforts undertaken by the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Qatar, and the United States of America to achieve a ceasefire and reach an agreement for the exchange of prisoners and hostages, as a fundamental humanitarian entry point to de-escalation, alleviating suffering, and ending the aggression. The immediate commencement of the implementation of the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan of the Gaza Strip, and the call for active participation in the upcoming reconstruction conference to be held in Cairo. Rejection and condemnation of all attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the affirmation of the need to preserve the legal and historical status quo in the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, while recognising the key role of the Hashemite Custodianship in this regard. The affirmation that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through the implementation of the two-State solution, ensuring the realization of an independent Palestinian State on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the principles of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. Holding Israel accountable and urging global action We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the ongoing genocide and the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe taking place in the Gaza Strip, and calls upon the international community — particularly the permanent members of the Security Council — to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities and to take urgent action to stop Israel's illegal aggressive policies aimed at undermining prospects for a just and lasting peace, eliminating any horizon for the implementation of the two-State solution, and ensuring immediate accountability for all violations committed by Israel against international law and international humanitarian law, including those amounting to genocide. Emphasis on two-state solution and peace conference outcomes We also underscore the need to implement the outcomes of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held in New York co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic, including the urgent operational time-bound measures contained in its final outcome document to end the war in Gaza and the implementation of a political path to achieve the comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-State solution.
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Though tiny, pathogens could become Israel's deadliest weapon in Gaza
Even as it continues to bomb the Palestinian civilians it is starving, Israel is pushing ahead with what may be its ultimate - or perhaps penultimate - vision for Gaza: the physical confinement of survivors in a guarded zone on Rafah's rubble - an actual concentration camp. If it is not stopped, pathogens could yet become Israel's deadliest weapon in Gaza. Disease is often not merely a side effect but a major agent in genocides, from smallpox that devastated the Indigenous peoples of the Americas to the barracks of Auschwitz. Concentration camps in particular have a long and ghastly history as places where, by design or otherwise, disease kills as many as - or even more than - those directly killed by the genocidal regime that confines them. In the Napoleonic Wars, British soldiers died of infectious disease eight times more often than of combat wounds, while the American Civil War saw some 600,000 deaths from malaria, dysentery and other infectious diseases. Cramming a demoralised, traumatised and severely malnourished population into a small area with little or no infrastructure makes the spread of disease in conflict settings even more dangerous. This is now taking shape in Gaza, as Israeli forces forcibly concentrate roughly 2.3 million genocide survivors into an ever-smaller area. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Acutely starving survivors of what Amnesty International calls "a live-streamed genocide" are next to be forced into the space until recently occupied by the city of Rafah, once former US President Joe Biden's untouchable "red line" - now 64 sqkm of debris and human remains. This is not happening incidentally. Following the broad lines of an idea first floated by Defence Minister Israel Katz, this tiny "humanitarian city" is to contain an initial 600,000 heavily vetted survivors (that is, those not selected at entry for detention, or executed point blank), then the remaining surviving population of Gaza - creating a potential population density of nearly 35,938 people per square kilometre. In such an environment, even minor infections can become fatal, turning treatable illnesses into mass killers. Deadly confinement As reported by Ha'aretz, the confined Palestinians are to be guarded - and fed - by international partners, most likely Israel- and US-backed private security contractors linked to hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries among aid-seekers. According to Mondoweiss, citing a 31 July Wall Street Journal report, the plan may also involve Emirati services and the local militia of Abu Shabab - an infamous gang leader reportedly armed and backed by Israel, whose fighters have looted aid trucks in the Rafah area. They are not to be allowed to leave. Even a glancing familiarity with the history of concentration camps is enough to know that, regardless of the precise details of the ultimate model, infectious disease is now likely to kill vastly more survivors than US and Israeli missiles over 22 months of daily atrocities. The history of concentration camps shows disease is likely to kill more survivors than US and Israeli missiles over 22 months of daily atrocities The first sites to receive the name "concentration camp" were established by the British during the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa to confine mostly (but not only) Boer combatants. Some 28,000 Boer prisoners died of typhoid in these camps, as did Herero and Nama detainees in camps in what is now Namibia during Germany's first genocide. Japanese-Canadian and Japanese-American detainees imprisoned in camps in the United States and Canada during the Second World War likewise suffered epidemics. In concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Europe, vast numbers of deaths resulted before and just after liberation from epidemics that raged through close quarters with deliberately appalling conditions. Anne Frank, of course, famously died at Bergen-Belsen of probable typhus shortly before both her 16th birthday and the camp's liberation. Engineered outbreaks Through 22 months of Israel's siege, bombardment and ground invasions, infrastructure and personnel of the existing healthcare system have been systematically targeted and destroyed. Mothers are too malnourished to produce immune-supporting as well as nutritionally vital breastmilk - considered the safest way to protect babies and infants in conflict settings from increased infections - even as Israel prohibits the entry of baby formula. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of Israel's war on Gaza Missiles have targeted water desalination plants, wastewater treatment facilities, fuel trucks, solar panels that reduced energy dependency on Israel, and other water, sanitation and energy infrastructure, and the siege denies access to chlorine and materials and equipment to repair damaged infrastructure. It was concentration camp proponent Katz, then Israel's minister of energy and infrastructure, who wrote on 13 October 2023 of the civilian population of Gaza: "They will not receive a drop of water or a single battery until they leave the world." As a result, epidemics have swept through the population of Gaza, including viruses, bacteria and fungal infections; water-borne, air-borne, and transmitted by physical contact. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in December 2023 that diseases might end up killing more people than bombs and missiles, with spokesperson Margaret Harris stating: "Eventually, we will see more people dying from disease than we are even seeing from the bombardment if we are not able to put back [together] this health system and provide the basics of life: food, water, medicines and of course fuel to operate the hospitals." Infections seen from early on have included waves of SARS-CoV-2, gastrointestinal infections causing diarrhoea, skin diseases, and a resurgence of vaccine-derived polio. International researchers and healthcare organisations alike repeatedly note the risk of cholera outbreaks. To prevent polio's spread beyond Gaza, Israel assented to pauses in the bombings killing children daily so those children might be vaccinated - but used a quadcopter to drop a stun grenade beside a polio vaccination clinic during one such humanitarian pause, injuring six people, including four children. Healthcare collapse At this point, healthcare workers are themselves literally collapsing from hunger, dehydration and malnutrition. Illness, lack of pay or meagre food rations previously received have not been reasons to miss work. A surgeon reported operating while suffering gastroenteritis. Antimicrobial resistance is a large and growing issue in Gaza. In April 2024, Save the Children had already warned that malnourishment (acute even in the first four months of Israel's war on Gaza) was leading to diseases that could be fatal in children, whose immune systems shut down in the face of starvation, with lack of protein and specific nutrients increasing vulnerability to infection. How can Palestinian medics 'cooperate' with Israeli health bodies during a genocide? Read More » The WHO warned this year that infectious diseases like measles, pneumonia or pathogens that cause diarrhoea become part of a cycle: malnourishment makes it hard for young bodies to fight off infections, while infections increase unachievable nutritional needs. According to Oxfam, Gaza has thus become "a petri dish of disease", with a recent doubling of acute jaundice, a 302 percent increase in bloody diarrhoea, and water-borne diseases up by 150 percent from already frightening rates. Specific factors that could accelerate deadly disease outbreaks are already at play in Gaza. Extreme temperatures, lack of protection from the elements, inadequate latrine access, bacterially contaminated food supplies, persistence of pests like insects and rats, and shared utensils are all factors documented as contributing to infectious disease at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. These included typhus, typhoid, dysentery, malaria, tuberculosis, diphtheria, infectious diarrhoea, scabies and a range of purulent skin diseases. Many of these have already been reported, some at epidemic levels, in Gaza today. Watery and bloody diarrhoea have been rampant in the overcrowded tent camps of displaced people, along with jaundice, acute hepatitis, and respiratory infections from early in the genocide, as well as skin infections. A drastic drop in vaccination rates in previously highly vaccine-compliant Gaza (polio vaccination rates were over 99 percent, for example) makes it far more likely that infections will become epidemic. Horrific outcome On 12 July, UN bodies warned that Israel's siege-induced collapse of remaining fuel supplies, critical to what remains of clean water and sanitation systems, threatens to further spread disease. By June 2025, 77 percent of water and sanitation facilities were off limits to Palestinians, being either under evacuation orders or in Israeli militarised zones, like 82.6 percent of Gaza's physical territory. Without comprehensive nourishment, sanitation and care, pathogens will carry out Israel's genocidal dirty work It will not be enough to stop bombing Gaza, nor to flood the territory with food and potable water. Any plan that does not include careful, closely monitored re-feeding of starving people and regular nourishment that addresses months of protein and essential vitamin and mineral deficiencies will not be good enough. A response that omits attentive wound care, re-establishment of extensive sanitation infrastructure, and access to hygiene for a population no longer strong enough to travel even short distances to keep clean or access toilet facilities will also fail. Most of all, the horrific history of sites that involve enforced detention and concentration of human beings tells us that any such plan is a programme under which pathogens will carry out Israel's genocidal dirty work. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
