UAE's largest aid ship sets sail for Gaza with field hospital on board
The vessel, called Khalifa, is heading to Al Arish Port in Egypt and is loaded with 4,372 tonnes of food, 1,433 tonnes of shelter materials, 860 tonnes of medical supplies and 501 tonnes of health supplies, state news agency Wam reported.
It is the largest aid vessel ever dispatched by the Emirates, and comes as part of Operation Gallant Knight 3. It brings the total volume of aid sent by the UAE to Gaza to 77,266 tonnes.
The ship is also carrying a fully equipped field hospital that can accommodate 400 patients and 16 ambulances, Hmoud Al Efari, the UAE Aid mission's co-ordinator, told The National.
'The ship will arrive in the Egyptian city of Al Arish in the next weeks. It has a field hospital as a gift from the UAE to the medical sector in Gaza,' he said.
The vessel is carrying 20 tankers to ensure clean drinking water access for Gazans.
'The cargo will be stored in the UAE's warehouses in Al Arish and later loaded to lorries to cross the border to the strip,' Mr Al Efari added.
An uncertain future
The aid shipment comes with ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas at a crossroads.
Hamas is considering giving mediators until the end of the week to reach a deal or it will withdraw from the current talks in Doha, The National reported on Sunday.
The latest round of talks mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt began on July 6. Significant progress has since been made on some issues but Israel and Hamas remain at odds over several key questions.
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