India sent tonnes of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip on Sunday amid the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict.
With this, India joins Egypt, Turkey, Japan, Britain, Tunisia, the EU, WHO and the US in sending help to Gaza, where Israel had refused to allow food and medical aid since it besieged the region on 9 October.
Overview
An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 flight carried over 6.5 tonnes of medical aid to Gazans, affected by heavy retaliatory bombing from Israel following Hamas’ terrorist attack on 7 October.
India sends Humanitarian aid to the people of #Palestine 🇮🇳 🇵🇸
— DD News (@DDNewslive) October 22, 2023
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: @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/59eounRW3e
Additionally, India sent 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for the Palestinians as well.
The relief material included essential life-saving medicines, surgical items, tents, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, sanitary utilities, and water purification tablets, among other essentials.
The humanitarian aid material was handed over by the Indian Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte to the Egyptian Red Crescent for transmission to Palestine.
Palestinian Envoy Thanks India
Palestinian Envoy to India Adnan Abu Alhaija thanked New Delhi for the humanitarian step and said, “India is a friend of both Palestine and Israel, and this war should be stopped from one side, and the humanitarian aid should go to the people of Gaza.”
Alhaijas said the blockade of the last fortnight had stopped the entry of essential items like oxygen into the Gaza Strip.
He said, “India is sending us help even without us asking. This is a great initiative.”
Humanitarian Aid Blockade
Amid the escalating conflict, Israel had previously refused to allow aid into Gaza on the pretext that it could fall into the hands of Hamas.
Nonetheless, the first 20 trucks arrived in Gaza via the Egypt-controlled Rafah border crossing on 21 October, while the second convoy entered the Egyptian side on Sunday.
UN World Food Programme’s executive director, Cindy McCain, mentioned that the ongoing blockade had pushed over 2.3 million people in the enclave to the brink of starvation.
Recently, the US vetoed a UN resolution demanding “humanitarian pauses” to deliver life-saving aid to millions stuck in Gaza, saying that Israel’s right to self-defence was not adequately recognized in the resolution.
Operation Ajay; India’s Stance on Palestine
Following the conflict, India launched ‘Operation Ajay’ to repatriate Indian citizens stuck in Israel.
So far, six special India-bound flights have brought back over 1,300 civilians from Tel Aviv to New Delhi.
#India on Sunday became the latest country to rush help to the civilian population of #Gaza Strip which is facing blockade and Israeli military operation, reports @janusmyth https://t.co/dobH5Cfvo5
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) October 22, 2023
While Indian PM Narendra Modi initially expressed support for Israel following the Hamas attack, India has reiterated its support for the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue in subsequent statements.
Modi also spoke with Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine, and expressed sorrow over the deaths of civilians at Gaza’s Al Ahli Hospital.
The PM expressed concern over the region’s deteriorating security situation, reaffirmed India’s long-standing position on the Israel-Palestine issue, and said that India will keep providing aid to the Palestinians.