The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with Israel to facilitate the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid from the Gulf to Gaza, according to state news agency WAM.
The U.N. humanitarian affairs office on Tuesday said Israel approved the entry of around 100 trucks carrying aid into Gaza, an increase from the nine cleared a day earlier, but still far less than is needed for the population of Gaza, who face near-famine conditions, according to aid groups and international organizations.
International pressure on Israel has mounted in recent days as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government re-launched its genocidal attacks on Gaza, targeting refugee camps, medical facilities and more.
The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Tuesday that there would be a review of the EU's trade agreement with Israel over the "catastrophic" situation in Gaza.
The agreement was reached in a phone call between UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar.
According to WAM, the aid will initially cater to the food needs of around 15,000 civilians in Gaza. It will also include essential supplies for bakeries and critical items for infant care.
Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office in Geneva said Israel had given permission for about 100 aid trucks to enter Gaza.
Israel says it plans to intensify its attacks and to control the whole of Gaza, which has been devastated by an Israeli air and ground war since Hamas' cross-border attack in October 2023.
Israel has also blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March, prompting international experts to warn of looming famine, although some trucks were allowed to enter on Monday.
