Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan on Thursday dispatched the first consignment carrying relief assistance for oppressed people of Palestine.
The relief assistance, carrying one thousand winter tents, four thousand blankets and three tons of medicines, will reach Palestine via Egypt.
The assistance, sent by the Pakistan Army and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), will provide an immediate relief to the affected people of Gaza.
Earlier at a weekly briefing, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan is sending the first batch of humanitarian assistance to the besieged Gaza Strip via Egypt.
“A chartered aircraft carrying 100 tonnes of essential medical supplies, tents, and blankets will depart from Islamabad for Egypt this afternoon. From Egypt, these items will be transferred to the people of Gaza,” She said.
The FO spokesperson said that Pakistan remains concerned about the situation of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza.
“We strongly condemn the Israeli aggression and blockade, particularly the recent attack on a Gaza hospital. Israel's actions violate international humanitarian and human rights law,” she added.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch further said deliberate attacks against civilian targets constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. “We call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the siege of Gaza, and the facilitation of humanitarian corridors for unrestricted relief supplies.”
The development came as Israel agreed on a deal for an initial 20 trucks carrying relief goods to cross the Egypt-Gaza Rafah border, with the first deliveries expected Friday at the earliest.
More than 100 trucks carrying aid goods have been stuck for days on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, the only entry or exit point to Gaza not controlled by Israel.
Egypt has so far kept this border closed, amid repeated Israeli strikes near the crossing and warns that Israel may be hoping to permanently drive Palestinians out and into Egypt´s Sinai desert.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Pakistani doctors have volunteered to serve at the heavily burdened health facilities in Gaza, collaborating with counterparts in Türkiye and Egypt to reach suffering Palestinians.
The two main bodies of Pakistani health professionals – Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, and Pakistan Medical Association, observed Black day, held demonstration against Israeli attack on Gaza Hospital. Representatives from associations said that hundreds of doctors, surgeons, anesthetists and paramedics have registered themselves to serve at the broken health facilities if they are permitted to enter Gaza.
Several Pakistani NGOs, including Al-Khidmat Foundation, Sailani Welfare Trust, and Baitussalam Trust, are already in contact with Turkish and Egyptian relief agencies to find out ways of sending relief assistance to besieged Gaza.
Waqas Anjum Jafri, Secretary General of Al-Khidmat Foundation, informed Turkish news agency that relief goods amounting to Rs100 million ($357,453) have already been handed over to their Turkish partners, and another Rs400 million ($1.42 million) have been committed.
“As soon as the humanitarian corridor is established, our trained disaster management teams and doctors along with relief assistance are ready to go to Gaza,” he added.
These volunteering step came as hospitals in Gaza filled up with injured and wounded patients after an Israeli attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, resulting in the tragic loss of over 500 lives, including children, patients, and paramedics.