EL-ARISH (Egypt): The 9M-WCA cargo aircraft carrying the first phase of the initial humanitarian aid to be sent to Palestine through the operation codenamed Ops Ihsan landed safely at the El-Arish Military Airport here.
Specially chartered by the Malaysian government, the aircraft took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport late Friday night and arrived here at about 8.50am (2.50pm Malaysian time) yesterday.
In the 7,688-km journey that took 15 hours, the plane first landed at the Chennai International Airport, India, and then at the Sharjah International Airport (United Arab Emirates) before arriving here.
The aid, comprising 20 tonnes of medical supplies, baby items and food, was handed over to representatives of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to be brought into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.
The El-Arish Military Airport, located in the North Sinai governorate, is located about 50km from the Rafah border.
The aid was first scheduled to land at the El-Arish International Airport, but since the airport had ceased operating last year, the Ops Ihsan team was directed to land at the military airport.
It is understood that once the aid passes the Rafah border, it will be handed over to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society at the Nitzana border for distribution.
Ops Ihsan is mobilised by Malaysia Humanitarian Aid and Relief (Mahar), Global Peace Mission (GPM) Malaysia, Red A Humanitarian Development Global, Pertubuhan Ihsan Johor, BeVital and Mapim as the main coordinators, alongside 38 other NGOs.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi witnessed the ceremony to send off the aid, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Egyptian Ambassador to Malaysia Ragai Nasr, Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali, and other heads of foreign missions.
A second flight to deliver another 20 tonnes of aid is scheduled to take off on Nov 10.
The recent clashes in Palestine involving Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, and the Israeli regime have resulted in the loss of thousands of lives on both sides since Oct 7.
Ragai commended the firm stance of the government and people of Malaysia on the Palestinian cause, adding that this was clearly manifested during the rally attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Axiata Arena Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
“The Prime Minister also visited Egypt and met with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Both leaders also focused on the developments in the region, particularly the ongoing military escalation in the Gaza Strip.
“President El-Sisi reviewed the outcomes that emerged from the discussions at the Cairo Summit for Peace. Egypt and Malaysia agreed on the need to coordinate efforts to end the escalation and achieve calm, as well as provide the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians,” he added.
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