The European Union is releasing another €68 million ($72.7 million) in humanitarian aid for Palestinians affected by the ongoing war in Gaza, the European Commission said in Brussels on Friday.

“In light of the continued deterioration of the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the steady rise of needs on the ground, the Commission is stepping up its funding to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing war,” the EU’s executive said in a press release.

The additional sum is intended to “scale up the desperately needed food assistance, nutritional, health, water and sanitation and shelter support, amongst others.”

This brings the total amount of EU aid for Palestinians in Gaza and the wider region to €193 million since the beginning of the year.

Besides financial aid, the EU is also involved in airdropping supplies provided by member states and allies into the sealed-off coastal region.

The Commission says it has further funded the transport of more than 130 tonnes of shelter, health, water and sanitation supplies donated by Ireland and humanitarian partners.

Gaza has been under constant Israeli bombardment since the October 7 attacks, when militants led by Palestinian extremist organisation Hamas killed some 1,200 people in Israel.

Almost 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since the outbreak of the war.

(dpa/NAN)