In a continued effort to provide humanitarian assistance, India dispatched a second batch of aid to the Gaza Strip amidst the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas militants. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced the development on social media platform X, stating that India remains committed to delivering aid to the people of Palestine.
The second batch, carried by the Indian Air Force's C17 aircraft, comprises 32 tonnes of aid bound for El-Arish Airport in Egypt, situated approximately 45 km from the Rafah crossing—the sole entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza
This initiative follows India's earlier shipment on October 22, which included around 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief materials, encompassing essential medicines, surgical items, tents, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, sanitary utilities, and water purification tablets.
As the conflict in the region persists, Israel has intensified retaliatory strikes on Gaza, now entering its seventh week since the October 7 attack by Hamas, resulting in over 12,000 Israeli casualties.
The situation in Gaza has notably affected Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in the region. Struggling to operate amid power cuts caused by fuel shortages, the hospital has become a focal point of the conflict. Israel recently ordered an immediate evacuation of the hospital after claiming to have found a Hamas tunnel shaft and a vehicle with weapons during a search operation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other UN officials conducted an assessment, describing the hospital as a "death zone" due to the dire circumstances. While some patients were evacuated, a UN team reported on Sunday that approximately 291 patients, including 32 critically ill infants, remained at the hospital.
