UK commits to new Gaza aid package of £1.5m
Funding will help treat patients at 11 hospitals and provide rehabilitation services to around 4,000 people following border violence with Israel
The UK has committed to provide a new package of aid totalling £1.5 million to buy medicines and equipment for hospitals in Gaza.
The funding will help treat patients in 11 hospitals and will also provide physical rehabilitation services for around 4,000 people.
The aid announcement comes after Israeli jets bombed targets in Gaza hours after militants from the territory fired more than 25 mortar shells towards communities in southern Israel.
Tensions have been running high in the region following the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians from Israeli fire during mass protests along the border.
Middle East minister Alistair Burt, announcing the funding on a visit to Gaza, said: “I am deeply concerned about the worsening situation in the Gaza Strip, and today’s UK aid package gives a message to the world, and to the people of Gaza, that we have not forgotten them or their plight.
“Today’s support will help to ensure that hospitals which are under immense pressure are able to cope with the increased number of casualties who need medical and surgical care.
“It is absolutely vital that the UK steps up to help those suffering and ensure that vulnerable Gazans are able to access treatment to keep them alive.
“We have been clear that a political settlement is the only way to ensure lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike.
“All parties must redouble their political efforts and return to the negotiating table, not only to address the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, but to ensure tragedies of the past months are not repeated.”
UK support is already providing Gazans with access to clean water, and improving sanitation facilities to help stop the spread of deadly disease.
Through the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), UK aid is providing basic health and education to 1.3 million people in Gaza, as well as more than 800,000 refugees in the West Bank.
Mr Burt announced in March at the Rome Conference that the UK will deliver its next round of financial support to UNRWA earlier than planned to help meet the growing needs of Palestinian refugees across the region.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
