The UK has dropped seven tonnes of aid into Gaza as part of continuing airlift relief efforts.

The latest round of aid drops takes the total amount to 35 tonnes on 40 pallets parachuted into the Palestinian territory over the last week.

Ministry of Defence issued photographs showed the pallets buoyed by dark green parachutes as they dropped into Gaza from an RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “A further 7 tonnes of essential aid has been dropped into Gaza by (the RAF) as part of our sustained effort to provide relief to civilians.”

He added: “35 tonnes have been delivered on 40 pallets in seven days as we pursue every avenue to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis.”

The UK began dropping aid into Gaza on March 25 amid continuing bottlenecks at border crossings.

The aid has consisted of water, rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned goods and baby formula for the people of Gaza.

The UK and its allies continue to work on a new sea route to get aid into Gaza, amid international warnings that its civilians are on the verge of famine.

While the sea route and air drops are aimed at providing extra methods of helping Gazans, UK Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell has insisted that land-based aid crossings from Israel into the Palestinian territory is the best way to help people.