The UK is rushing to get aid onto planes to Gaza after Israel’s decision to let foreign countries airdrop supplies to alleviate starvation in the Palestinian territory.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Israel’s policy shift had come “far too late,” but pledged “we will do everything we can to get aid in,” during a video statement on X on Friday.
Israel will allow the drops in the coming days, with Jordan and the United Arab Emirates leading the operation, an Israeli security official said Friday.
“We are already working urgently with the Jordanian authorities to get British aid onto planes and into Gaza,” Starmer said.
“We will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to the Palestinian people immediately.”
Starmer also said the UK was “accelerating efforts to evacuate children from Gaza” for specialist medical treatment in Britain.
More than 100 aid groups this week sounded the alarm over starvation in the enclave in a joint statement, and said their own colleagues are suffering from the lack of food aid in Gaza amid Israel’s blockade.
Israel has denied creating famine in Gaza and accused Hamas of “engineering” food shortages.
Israel had previously allowed airdrops of aid into Gaza, but the process was deemed costly and unsafe. Several Palestinians were killed after the airdrops fell on them.