UK launches first ever aid airdrop into Gaza with 10 tonnes of supplies given to civilians

The aid, which included water, rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned goods and baby formula, was parachuted above a prearranged landing zone.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps authorised the airdrop following what the Ministry of Defence said was an "assessed reduction in threat to the military mission and risk to civilians."

An RAF A400M Atlas transport plane flew from Amman, Jordan on the mission over the northern coastline of Gaza.

The MoD said UK air force and army personnel worked closely with the Royal Jordanian Air Force to plan and conduct the mission.

Grant Shapps said: "The UK has already tripled our aid budget to Gaza, but we want to go further in order to reduce human suffering."

The Defence Secretary said the airdrop had provided a further way of delivering humanitarian support.

Shapps added: "The hell that was unleashed by the October 7 Hamas attack has led to wide-scale innocent loss of life.

"The UK's goal is to use every route possible to deliver life-saving aid, whether that is by road, air or new routes via the sea.

"We also continue to call on Israel to provide port access and open more land crossings in order to increase incoming aid deliveries to Gaza."

The UK military describes the A400 Atlas as a "highly capable tactical and strategic airlift platform".

Monday's airdrop was its first-ever mission delivering humanitarian aid by parachute.

Military officials said the drop zones were surveyed before and during the airdrop to ensure aid was delivered directly to civilians.

The airdrop follows recent land deliveries of 2,000 tonnes of UK food aid to feed more than 275,000 people.

Thousands of UK-funded blankets, tents and other relief items have also been sent to Gaza, alongside the establishment of a full UK-funded field hospital run by British charity UK-Med.

The UK Goverment said it would continue to work with allies, including Cyprus, the United States, European Union and United Arab Emirates, to open a direct maritime corridor to Gaza.

UK defence planning teams have been deployed to the United States and Cyprus to support that international effort.

The UK Hydrographic Office has also shared an analysis of the Gazan shore with US planners to help establish a temporary pier to receive aid shipments.

The UK has also announced an additional £10million in aid funding for the Palestinian Territories, bringing the total spend to more than £100million this year.