India sends medical aid among 38.5 tonnes of relief materials to Palestine

India on Sunday sent more than 38 tonnes of relief material including medicines and medical equipment for the people of Palestine amid mounting global concerns over the plight of civilians living in Gaza.

The consignments were sent in a C-17 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force to El-Arish airport in Egypt.

Various international aid agencies have described the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic". The Israeli military has been carrying out retaliatory air strikes on Gaza following the unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 by Hamas.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the relief materials were handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent for onward transmission to Palestine.

"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," Bagchi said on 'X'.

"The material includes essential life-saving medicines, surgical items, tents, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, sanitary utilities, water purification tablets among other necessary items," he said.

Hours later, Bagchi said Indian ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte handed over the relief materials to Egyptian Red Crescent for sending them to Palestine.

"India's humanitarian aid for the people of Palestine arrives in Egypt. Amb @indembcairo @AjitVGupte handed over the relief material to Egyptian Red Crescent for onward transmission to Palestine," he said in another post.

The C-17 aircraft was sent from Hindon airbase near Delhi.

India sent the aid three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed condolences to President of Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas over the deaths of civilians at a hospital in Gaza and reiterated India's long-standing "principled position" on the Israel-Palestine issue.

In a phone conversation on Thursday, Modi told Abbas that New Delhi will continue to send humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people.

The World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation were among five agencies who described the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic" in a joint statement.

India has been supporting Palestine and Palestinian refugees through contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency.

A total of $29.53 million has been contributed to UNRWA between 2002 and 2023, Bagchi said on Thursday.

"The Indian annual contribution to UNRWA was increased from $1.25 million to $5 million in 2018. India has pledged an annual contribution of $5 million for the next two years (FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25)," he said.