UAE marks three years of Gaza aid mission totaling more than 136,000 metric tons
Operation Gallant Knight 3 reached its third anniversary on November 5, with the UAE having delivered aid worth $4.16 billion to Gaza. The country's largest humanitarian mission to the enclave now covers food, healthcare, shelter and psychosocial support.
Mariam Al Mansoori
A relief network by land, air and sea
President Sheikh Mohamed directed the launch of the operation on November 5, 2023. What began as an emergency response has expanded into a broader aid network across Gaza. According to The National, the UAE has supplied about 46% of all international humanitarian assistance that has reached the territory.
The delivery effort has involved 792 aircraft, 26 ships and 14,711 trucks. Separately, the Birds of Goodness initiative has carried out 81 airdrop missions to reach communities that are difficult to access by land.
The operation coordinates shipments through the UAE's humanitarian logistics center in Al Arish, Egypt. Staff receive and sort supplies there before preparing convoys for Gaza. Abu Dhabi describes the mission as an expression of humanitarian solidarity and a long-term commitment to the Palestinian people.
Nineteen UAE humanitarian and charitable organizations have participated, providing assistance in areas including food, healthcare, shelter and water, Gulf News reported on October 7, 2026. Their work includes the provision of 50 tankers to transport and distribute water to Gaza communities.
Kitchens, bakeries and a separate meal initiative
The operation's food assistance includes 40 community kitchens that prepare about eight million meals a year. It also supports around 27 bakeries with the capacity to produce up to 1.5 million bundles of bread annually.
Another initiative, the Ahmed bin Rashid Humanitarian Bridge, aims to supply more than 10 million meals. The National reported on October 13, 2026, that food deliveries under that plan had entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Supplies were transported from Al Maktoum International Airport to the Gallant Knight 3 team at the Al Arish logistics center.
The initiative honors Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid, the brother of Dubai's ruler, who died on September 21, 2026.
Medical care and prosthetic limbs
Medical teams working through the operation have treated more than 294,000 cases. In cooperation with the World Health Organization, the mission has deployed equipped health centers, field hospitals and convoys carrying medicines and medical supplies.
The UAE opened a 150-bed field hospital in Gaza in December 2023. It has also established two medical centers under the operation, one in Khan Younis in the south and another in northern Gaza, according to The National.
A floating hospital docked in Al Arish began treating patients on February 24, 2024. Its facilities include advanced surgical and intensive care units, radiology services and laboratories. The ship has 100 patient beds and another 100 beds for accompanying relatives. Officials said in November 2025 that medics had performed more than 5,000 operations there, The National reported.
The hospital also manufactures and fits prosthetic limbs through the "A Step of Hope" program, established in June 2026. Teams in Gaza first use 3D scanning to map patients' residual limbs. By early October 2026, 198 Palestinian amputees had received prosthetic limbs through the program, according to Gulf News. Plans also call for prosthetics factories and storage warehouses in Gaza.
Community support and winter supplies
Beyond essential supplies and treatment, the operation supported collective wedding celebrations for 408 Palestinian grooms in the first half of 2026. More than 30,000 people attended, according to figures released by the operation and reported by Gulf News on October 7, 2026.
Seasonal assistance remains part of the mission. Its Winter Clothing campaign aims to provide clothing, blankets and heating supplies to one million beneficiaries in Gaza.
