The first shipment of humanitarian aid has arrived in Gaza via a temporary floating pier, the US military has confirmed.
US Central Command said that aid trucks began moving ashore at about 09:00 local time (07:00 BST) on Friday.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the delivery of 8,400 plastic shelters was “the culmination of a herculean joint international effort”.
About 500 tonnes of British aid including tents, hygiene kits and forklift trucks is expected to be delivered via the pier, built by US armed forces, in the coming weeks.
“This is an ongoing, multinational effort to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza via a maritime corridor that is entirely humanitarian in nature,” the US Central Command said in a statement on X, adding that no US troops went ashore.
“More aid will follow, but we know the maritime route is not the only answer,” Mr Sunak said.
“We need to see more land routes open, including via the Rafah crossing, to ensure much more aid gets safely to civilians in desperate need of help.”
The UK has played a supporting role in the construction of the pier, which was anchored to the shore on Thursday, providing accommodation for US personnel on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Cardigan Bay.
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