British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday announced a further ?£10 million in humanitarian aid for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), in response to the escalating conflict.

He made the announcement in a statement to the House of Commons, in which he also reiterated the UK's condemnation of Hamas' actions in both Israel and Gaza, and called for immediate access for humanitarian organizations to be allowed to deliver life-saving aid.

This latest commitment is in response to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which include shortages of essentials and widespread displacement.

This funding will allow trusted partners, including key UN agencies to provide essential relief items and services, to include food, water and emergency shelter, depending on the needs.

The UK is also exploring options for moving humanitarian supplies closer to the region and is liaising with aid agencies in the region to ensure relief supplies can be distributed as quickly and effectively as possible.

Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "I'm proud that we are a longstanding and significant provider of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. And I can announce today that we are increasing our aid by a third, with an additional ?£10 million of support.

Today's announcement is a 37% uplift to the existing ?£27m of UK funding this year which is already providing critical support to the region, including an extra ?£10 million announced by the Foreign Secretary during his visit last month.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have spoken to Israel, Egypt and other international partners about opening the Rafah crossing to allow urgent humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The UN estimates that over 1 million Palestinians have been displaced so far as prior to the recent escalations, the UN estimated that nearly 60% of people in Gaza need humanitarian assistance.

Source: Kuwait News Agency