The European Commission and Belgium are organising a new aid shipment from Brussels to Gaza via Jordan, in coordination with the City of Brussels and the Belgian Ministry of Defence.

The aid consists of 240 tonnes of supplies collected by the Brussels-based charity organisation Human Smile, including hygiene items, mattresses, sleeping bags and pillows as well as baby milk powder and other assistance for Palestinians in need.

Through its European Humanitarian Response Capacity, the Commission is supporting the delivery of the cargo and covering the transport costs of the operation. The cargo will be transported to Jordan by sea and delivered to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), to be channelled into Gaza afterwards.

This new delivery comes on top of the over 2,600 metric tonnes channelled so far via 55 EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights, transporting vital supplies provided by humanitarian partners and EU Member States.

Since 2000, the EU has provided more than €1.1 billion in humanitarian assistance to help meet the basic needs of the Palestinian population.

From the onset of the current crisis, the EU has been in the frontline of the humanitarian response, helping to tackle the most urgent needs of Palestinians affected by the ongoing war in Gaza. In 2023 and 2024 alone, the EU allocated a total of over €290 million in humanitarian aid for Palestinians in need, focusing on lifesaving sectors such as food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation and protection.

Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said: “I welcome this initiative set up together with Belgium and the City of Brussels, a great example of how the European Union, EU Member States and our humanitarian partners are helping support people in need in Gaza. To tackle such a dramatic crisis, we need to think out of the box and explore new pathways of collaboration to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Gaza. It is key that all land routes for channelling assistance to Gaza are opened and used at full capacity. I urge all parties to allow swift and unimpeded humanitarian access into and within Gaza.”