
UAE, Jordan planes drop 25 tonnes of aid over Gaza as hundreds die from starvation
"The Jordanian Armed Forces on Sunday carried out three air drops on the Gaza Strip carrying humanitarian and food aid, one of which was with the United Arab Emirates," the statement said, adding that they were carrying 25 tonnes of aid.
On Saturday, July 26, UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan confirmed the Emirates would immediately resume airdrop operations to Gaza as part of its ongoing humanitarian mission.
In a statement posted, the minister said the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical and unprecedented level, underscoring the urgent need for sustained international aid efforts.
Israeli army had said a day earlier that Israel would allow foreign countries to parachute aid into Gaza starting on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced a pause in military activity in designated areas in Gaza where it is 'not operating' today. It said that the pause will be daily in three areas of Gaza starting on Sunday, starting at 10am and lasting until 8pm.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
11 minutes ago
- The National
Brother of Yemeni murder victim demands new execution date for Indian nurse
The family of Yemeni citizen Talal Mahdi have urged authorities to expedite the execution of an Indian nurse convicted of his murder by setting a new date. Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala state, was granted a reprieve by Yemeni authorities when her execution date scheduled for July 16 at the Central Prison Square in Sanaa was postponed. Abdel Fattah Mahdi, Talal's brother, has also denied reports in the Indian media that an Indian spiritual leader won the family's forgiveness to revoke the death penalty. 'The execution has become mandatory by law and binding on all parties without any delay,' said a letter to Yemen's Public Prosecution signed by Abdel Mahdi on behalf of Mr Mahdi's close relatives. The plea called for the public prosecution to 'expedite the implementation of the death penalty against the convicted Indian national Nimisha Priya'. In the letter, the elder Mr Mahdi states that all approvals were obtained as per the final judgments in 2023, including ratification by Yemen's President and the Attorney General's order in 2024. 'The crime committed was beyond all bounds of humanity,' the family said in the petition posted by Mr Mahdi on Facebook. 'We urgently request your excellency to set a new date for the execution of the death sentence, which we firmly demand as our legitimate right, especially since we, the victim's family, have lost our loved one to an atrocious crime.' The family said all efforts at reconciliation had been exhausted. 'All attempts to negotiate and mediate have reached a dead end and we, the family of the victim, are unable to reach any compromise with the other party,' the plea said. Family demands retribution The family denied a claim publicised in the Indian media made by Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, a prominent Sunni leader also known as the Grand Mufti of India. The Grand Mufti's office said that, after 'high-level meetings' in Sanaa, the death sentence was officially cancelled. But the elder Mr Mahdi rejected this as 'categorically untrue'. He denied that close family members had met or spoken to the cleric, accepted reconciliation and that the death sentence was cancelled. 'We have not spoken to or negotiated with anyone, near or far, about reconciliation in the case of the Indian murderer. None whatsoever,' he said. 'And we will not allow anyone to impose any discussion or compromise at the expense of our blood and our indisputable right to have qisas (retribution) implemented.' Asking for justice and retribution for the murder of his younger sibling, Mr Mahdi said: 'Religion cannot serve as a pretext for pardon or a cover for the crime's ugliness.' He also pointed out that, as per Islamic Sharia and the Yemeni constitution, 'honouring the victim's family, recognising their pain, and upholding their right to see God's law enforced are obligations'. 'Guaranteeing these rights is among the highest principles of justice,' he added. Mr Mahdi spoke out against emotional propaganda and against the spiritual leader's claims of mercy 'at the expense of a pure body unjustly slaughtered, dismembered, and thrown into a water tank as if it were nothing'. 'Talal's blood will not become a bargaining chip in the marketplace of negotiations, nor a bridge for those trading in religion or personal interests,' he said. 'And let it be crystal clear: If any decision is to be made, it is ours to make. No one will override our right in the name of religion or mercy.' Critical phase Earlier, Yemen's prosecution authority had said the execution of Ms Priya would be 'postponed until a new date is announced'. This came after a petition from her mother Prema Kumari, who is in Sanaa to support the negotiations, and a request from the Indian government to stay the execution. The Indian family had offered $1 million in diya or blood money as compensation for Mr Mahdi's death. The funds were raised by Indians across the world, including expats in the UAE. Mr Mahdi has urged the public to remember how his family has suffered after the Indian nurse drugged his brother, cut his body into pieces, and hid it in plastic bags inside an underground tank. Ms Priya's supporters have asked for forgiveness and pardon, saying she had injected Mr Mahdi with sedatives to retrieve her passport that he had seized and that he had died of an accidental overdose. 'Our work continues to save Nimisha's life and we must also be sensitive to Talal's family,' Ms Deepa Joseph, a lawyer in India and vice-chairwoman of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, told The National. 'What we know of the current situation is that Talal's family has said they have not spoken to the grand mufti and the family has moved the prosecutors to speed up the process to execute Nimisha. 'We ask that all parties are restrained as this is a critical phase.'


Middle East Eye
17 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkey to follow The Hague Group's measures against Israel 'to stop the genocide'
Turkey on Tuesday said it was taking six measures against Israel, following commitments agreed earlier this month by a cohort of countries seeking to stop the Israeli war on Gaza. By endorsing The Hague Group's joint statement of the Bogota Emergency Conference on Palestine, Turkey has become the first country to sign on to the commitments since the summit on 16 July. The Bogota summit culminated in a joint declaration by states demanding international sanctions against Israel and legal accountability for what participants described as "grave violations of international law" in Gaza. The six measures include suspending military exports to Israel, refusing the transit of Israeli weapons through their ports and airspace, reviewing all public contracts to prevent state institutions and pension funds from supporting Israeli companies or the occupation of Palestinian territories. They also included a vow to actively support universal jurisdiction cases and International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants to pursue accountability for alleged war crimes. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Children are not only dying from bombings, but also from starvation. This is a man-made humanitarian disaster pointing to a moral and systemic collapse. Israel is inventing genocide in the 21st century," Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz said in a statement shared with Middle East Eye. 'It is evident that under its current course, Israel will not stop its genocidal attacks," Yilmaz said, announcing his government's decision to endorse the Bogota declaration. "We support the Hague Group's righteous call for upholding international law and announcing measures against Israel for its violations." The Hague Group is a bloc of eight states - Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa - launched on 31 January in the eponymous Dutch city with the stated goal of holding Israel accountable under international law. UN's Albanese calls out 'appalling' EU failure to sanction Israel as 32-nation summit in Bogota kicks off Read More » The Bogota summit, co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa, brought together representatives from more than 30 countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, marking the most coordinated diplomatic effort yet by a coalition of states opposing Israel's ongoing military onslaught in Gaza. Middle East Eye understands that more states will join The Hague Group within the coming weeks. Israel is coming under increased scrutiny as its strategy of starvation is killing more Palestinians in Gaza every day. Almost 150 Palestinians have died of malnutrition since October 2023, which Gaza's health ministry on Tuesday said the overall death toll had topped 60,000 people. On Monday, two major Israeli human rights groups said Israel is waging genocide in Gaza and on Tuesday the world's top hunger monitor said the "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza due to the starvation and siege. Yildiz said Turkey reiterates its calls for unhindered humanitarian aid flow to Gaza, as well as "a coordinated reconstruction process led by Palestinians, and, finally, a concrete roadmap toward a just and lasting peace based on the two-state vision". 'We should not ignore Israel's continuing aggression and violations in the West Bank. This is what can be called deepening the colonisation," he added. "The recent declaration, adopted by the Israeli parliament, openly calling for the extension of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, is a dangerous step." South Africa welcomes Turkey's decision At the Bogota conference held on 15-16 July, all 30 participating states agreed on the need to end the 'era of impunity' and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. To kickstart that process, the group said that 12 states from across the world - Bolivia; Colombia; Cuba; Indonesia; Iraq; Libya; Malaysia; Namibia; Nicaragua; Oman; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and South Africa - have committed to implementing the six measures immediately through their domestic legal and administrative systems. The measures seek to "break the ties of complicity with Israel's campaign of devastation in Palestine", the group said. A date has been set for 20 September 2025, coinciding with the 80th UN General Assembly, for additional states to join them in adopting the measures, the statement added. 'The steps taken by Türkiye today are a powerful affirmation that international law must be enforced, not merely referenced. We invite others to follow suit before the September deadline, to end impunity and defend humanity,' Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, Executive Secretary of The Hague Group, said on Tuesday. Ronald Lamola, South Africa's Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, also welcomed Turkey's announcement. 'South Africa welcomes the signing of the joint statement by Türkiye. This is a welcome development to strengthen and continue the fight against injustice and ensure accountability.'


Middle East Eye
18 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Only 73 aid trucks entered Gaza as officials call airdrops a ‘farce'
Gaza's Government Media Office has condemned the international response to the worsening humanitarian disaster, saying that just 73 aid trucks made it into the besieged territory on Tuesday, far below the minimum 600 trucks per day that humanitarian groups say are urgently required. In a statement the media office described the flow of aid as completely inadequate to address the famine gripping the Strip. Officials also condemned Israeli airdrops of humanitarian supplies, claiming they were dropped into active combat zones under military supervision. 'We witnessed three airdrops, which combined did not equal the load of two truckloads of aid,' the statement read. 'What is happening is a farce in which the international community is complicit through false promises or misleading information.' The office called on world powers to stop offering symbolic gestures and instead ensure full, safe, and sustained access for life-saving relief.