The United Arab Emirates has upgraded its humanitarian relief to Gaza with immediate deliveries of water and medical aid. On September 26, 2025, an Emirati convoy of 22 water tankers and five ambulances entered the Gaza Strip via the Rafah and Karam Abu Salem crossings as part of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3. This program directly addresses severe water shortages and supports the health sector, while other ambulances, food, shelter materials, and medical supplies are being readied for the weeks ahead.
Besides this direct aid, the UAE has been contributing to its humanitarian operation by land, sea, and air under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3. Since the Rafah crossing was reopened in July 2025, the UAE has been providing essential aid, such as food, medical, and shelter supplies, to show its ongoing desire to help those in need and to ensure the cooperation of the international community.
Primary Humanitarian Activities
The September 26, 2025, convoy is the culmination of months of uninterrupted assistance to Gaza. According to ANI News, up to July 27, 2025, 128 truckloads have carried more than 2,000 tonnes of food and shelter material via the Rafah crossing, totaling more than 12,000 tonnes of land aid delivered.
Maritime, the UAE has sent humanitarian vessels like the Hamdan Humanitarian Ship and Hamdan Ship 9, both carrying 7,000 tonnes of relief material, including food baskets, medical tents, community kitchen utensils, and ambulances equipped with all necessary requirements. Combined, these shipments are among a total of a fleet of 20 aid ships, joining the almost 90,000 tonnes of relief material transported thus far in this operation, under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the UAE President.
Last month, a new pipeline of desalinated water was opened from Rafah, Egypt, to Al Mawasi in Khan Younis, Gaza’s southern part, and provided two million gallons of water every day to almost one million Palestinians. The infrastructure project enhances the UAE’s aid convoys and seaborne shipments to meet Gaza’s long-term survival requirements.
Aside from land and sea operations, the UAE also mounted several airdrop missions, like the 76th airdrop of Operation Birds of Goodness, in collaboration with Jordan, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Indonesia. The air missions have brought a total of over 4,020 tonnes of life-sustaining food and relief, reaching vulnerable communities promptly. Together, these operations demonstrate a very robust, integrated reaction to short-term humanitarian needs and resilience in the long term.
Leadership and Co-ordination
The representative of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, Ruler of Al Dhafra and the Emirates Red Crescent, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has the direct support of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The humanitarian workers at Al Arish, Egypt, of the UAE ensure that the preparation, loading and dispensing of aid is in place so that the distribution of aid reaches Gaza beneficiaries easily and in good time.
The coordination of the operation with humanitarian groups and international actors demonstrates the UAE’s capacity for rapid mobilization of resources and the provision of continuous aid. It is an unequivocal expression of the UAE’s sustained commitment to the relief of suffering and the provision of stability to civilians in conflict areas.
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