UAE-Israel phone call leads to approval of UAE aid delivery to Gaza

Israel has agreed to allow humanitarian aid from the UAE into Gaza, following a phone call between the two countries’ foreign ministers.

The conversation between His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, and Gideon Sa’ar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, led to the agreement as international pressure on Israel intensifies amid renewed military operations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in the Gaza Strip.

In its initial phase, the Emirati aid will address the food needs of approximately 15,000 civilians. The initiative also includes supplies to support bakery operations and provide essential items for infant care.

Despite the development, humanitarian officials warn that far more aid is needed.

“Aid reaching Gaza is merely a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, on Tuesday.

Earlier the same day, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office in Geneva confirmed that Israel had authorized about 100 aid trucks to enter Gaza.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also warned this week that two million people in Gaza are facing starvation.

The territory has been under Israeli air and ground assault since Hamas launched a cross-border attack in October 2023.

The UAE and Israel also discussed efforts to resume a humanitarian truce, achieve a ceasefire, and secure the release of hostages.