India Sends Vital Humanitarian Aid to Palestine via Egypt

An Indian Air Force plane, carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for the people of Palestine, departed for Egypt, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on Sunday. The relief material included essential life-saving medicines, surgical items, tents, sleeping bags, sanitary utilities, and water purification tablets.

“India sends Humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine. An IAF C-17 flight carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for the people of Palestine departs for El-Arish airport in Egypt,” the MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The aid was sent by India two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, in which he promised humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

During Thursday’s call, the Prime Minister conveyed deep condolences over the loss of civilian lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Highlighting traditionally close and historic ties between India and this region, PM Modi expressed deep concern at terrorism, violence, and the deteriorating security situation in the region.

He reiterated India’s long-standing and principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue. According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), President Mahmoud Abbas shared his assessment of the situation. He thanked the Prime Minister for India’s support and appreciated India’s position.

During the weekly briefing on Thursday, Bagchi reiterated India’s commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to Palestine. He underlined India’s significant support for Palestine and Palestinian refugees through substantial contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The MEA spokesperson noted that India has contributed a total of $29.53 million to UNRWA between 2002 and 2023.