UAE's Operation Gallant Knight 3 reaches 1,000-day milestone with $3.89 billion in Gaza aid
The humanitarian operation launched under presidential directive has delivered over 126,000 tonnes of relief supplies and treated more than 230,000 patients, representing the largest single-country contribution to Gaza.
UAE's Operation Gallant Knight 3 reaches 1,000-day milestone with $3.89 billion in Gaza aid
The United Arab Emirates' humanitarian mission to Gaza reached a significant milestone on Sunday as Operation Gallant Knight 3 completed 1,000 consecutive days of relief efforts supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Launched on 5th November 2023 under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the operation has delivered humanitarian assistance valued at more than $3.89 billion. According to UN data, this represents approximately 46 percent of total international aid delivered to Gaza during this period, making the UAE the largest single country donor globally.
The operation has transported over 126,000 tonnes of relief, medical and food supplies through more than 770 flights, 25 ships, and over 13,000 trucks. The sustained delivery has continued despite significant humanitarian and logistical challenges in the region, where UN reports indicate approximately 90 percent of Gaza's population—about 1.9 million people—have been displaced, many multiple times.
Comprehensive healthcare response
Healthcare services have formed a principal pillar of the operation. The UAE field hospital in Gaza, which expanded its capacity from 150 beds initially to 200 beds by early 2024, operates with fully equipped operating rooms, intensive care units, radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy departments. The facility is staffed by 64 volunteer medical professionals from 17 nationalities.
Complementing the field hospital, the UAE Floating Hospital in Al-Arish, Egypt, launched in February 2024 with a capacity of 100 patient beds plus 100 beds for accompanying relatives. The maritime facility features advanced surgical units, intensive care, radiology, laboratories, and evacuation capabilities including helicopter and boat services.
Together, these medical facilities have provided treatment to more than 230,000 patients, performing surgeries and delivering specialised healthcare and rehabilitation services. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also ordered the treatment of 1,000 wounded Palestinian children and 1,000 cancer patients in UAE hospitals, with patients evacuated alongside their family members.
Multi-channel aid delivery
The Birds of Goodness airdrop initiative has proven essential for reaching inaccessible areas. Through 81 airdrop missions, more than 4,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies have been delivered to vulnerable communities cut off from conventional aid routes.
Beyond emergency relief, the operation has implemented sustainable development initiatives including automated bakeries to strengthen food security, desalination plants and water distribution networks to provide safe drinking water, and comprehensive support for healthcare and education sectors.
The Step of Hope initiative represents one of the operation's key rehabilitation programmes, manufacturing and fitting prosthetic limbs while providing rehabilitation services for amputees, enabling beneficiaries to regain mobility and improve their quality of life.
Broader humanitarian vision
Operation Gallant Knight 3 reflects the UAE's established track record in large-scale humanitarian initiatives. The country has contributed over $327 million to global polio eradication efforts and in 2017 launched the Reaching the Last Mile Fund, a 10-year $500 million project with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to eradicate neglected tropical diseases.
In March 2024, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed directed the launch of the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Initiative worth AED 20 billion (approximately $5.4 billion) allocated for humanitarian activities in the world's most vulnerable communities, marking the 20th anniversary of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's passing.
The completion of 1,000 consecutive days of humanitarian service underscores the UAE's commitment to supporting the Palestinian people through a sustainable approach founded on the values of generosity, solidarity and shared humanitarian responsibility, placing human dignity and welfare at the forefront of its priorities.
