British troops delivering US aid to Gaza may be used to bring seriously-injured children to Cyprus for medical treatment, it emerged last night.
A US Army ship has begun work to build a large floating pier, measuring several hundred meters long, in readiness for aid deliveries by sea.
The new maritime corridor will ultimately see 150 lorries deliver aid every day,
But officials have made it clear that there will be no US boots on the ground in Gaza, and that a “significant partner” will be driving the lorries from the beach.
Last night sources confirmed that the UK may step in to fill that role.
Britain has been closely involved in the planning of the sea-borne aid operation and defence secretary Grant Shapps said it continues to take “a leading role in the delivery of support in coordination with the US and other international allies”.
A British vessel, RFA Cardigan Bay, has been prepared to accommodate US soldiers constructing the pier.
Now British troops – most likely from the RAF Regiment based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus – are being prepared for the role in driving lorries supplied by either the US or Israel.
Though combat trained, the troops will be unarmed and their protection will be guaranteed by the Israeli Defence Forces.
Last night it emerged that a second element of the plan will see empty lorries loaded up with Palestinian children in desperate need of medical attention for the return leg.
According to Save the Children almost 26,000 children – one in 50 – have been killed or injured since Israel responded to the October 7 attacks by launching its offensive against Hamas.
Under initial stages of the new plan, around 100 children will be taken back to a makeshift emergency treatment centre at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus , with the most serious flown back to the UK for surgery.
An emergency medical team from RAF Brize Norton has been designated to lead the medical element of the operation, which will see the children selected and brought to the site by UN agencies.
US forces will provide additional medical facilities in Cyprus if the plan proves successful.
Arrangements with Cypriot hospitals have also been considered, though the Archbishop Makarios III Children’s Hospital in Nicosia is currently 95 fully occupied with children suffering from a contagious respiratory virus called RSV.
Last night officials released new images of the 67-acre site built by the Israel’s Ministry of Defense’s Engineering and Construction Directorate to accommodate the expected US aid.
“A remote-controlled hydraulic gate system is being built, allowing for operational and logistical flexibility,” said an IDF spokesman.
“Extensive electrical work is being done to support the facility and to accommodate the arrival of aid, both by land and by sea.
“The floating pier, through which the humanitarian aid will be transferred, is being built by the Americans and will be connected to the shore.”
Any exposure of UK troops to attack depends on the limits of the operation, experts said last night.
“Depending on how assertive the UK is going to be, there are still risks,’ said regional expert Megan Sutcliffe of the Sibylline strategic risk group.
“We have already seen mortar fire targeted at those constructing the pier, and we have seen aid convoys attacked by looters. These looters can be linked to Hamas, but are just as likely to be organised opportunists – there is a healthy black market for aid in Gaza.”
She added: “And while I don’t think Hamas has the appetite to launch a full-fledged conflict against UK forces, it has form for targeting those who threaten its role in distributing aid. Israel’s objective of removing Hamas from militant power also means removing it from its governance power, and it is resisting this forcefully.”
The Ministry of Defence refused to comment.
