RAF successfully completes second airdrop of essential aid to Gaza

The Royal Air Force has successfully completed its second airdrop of essential aid to Gaza.

This latest drop of 10 tonnes of food supplies into Gaza, as part of international efforts to provide life-saving assistance to civilians, follows the successful RAF airdrop of aid on Monday.

The aid consists of rice, flour, oil, baby food, tinned goods and water to support the people of Gaza.

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The Ministry of Defence said that an "RAF A400M flew from Amman, Jordan to airdrop this aid along the coastline of Gaza, as part of a Jordanian-led international aid mission".

"UK personnel, from both the RAF and British Army, worked closely with the Royal Jordanian Air Force to plan and conduct this mission," the MOD said. 

"The drop zones were surveyed before and during the airdrop to ensure aid was delivered directly to civilians".

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: "The UK is doing all it can to get as much food into Gaza as possible. Today's airdrop will provide over 10 tonnes of food supplies to civilians in need.

"I thank the Royal Air Force and British Army personnel for their tireless work to support this mission.

"We will continue to pursue every opportunity to deliver aid by air, sea and land into Gaza."

The latest airdrop is part of ongoing UK efforts to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.

It follows recent land deliveries of 2,000 tonnes of UK food aid to feed more than 275,000 people and thousands of UK-funded blankets, tents and other relief items, as well as the establishment of a full UK-funded field hospital in Gaza run by British charity UK-Med.

The MOD said: "The UK remains committed to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most, as Palestinians continue to face a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza".

The UK has previously supported international airdrops, providing around 600 parachutes at the request of Jordan and Bahrain and supplying critical aid for a Jordanian airdrop to Tal Al-Hawa Hospital in northern Gaza.

Between October and November 2023, the RAF also delivered aid and humanitarian supplies to Egypt.