India sends second batch of aid to Palestine amid escalating Israel-Hamas war

India on Sunday sent the second cache of aid to Palestine. The development was confirmed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who took to X and said, "We continue to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine."

"Second Indian Air Force C17 aircraft carrying 32 tonnes of aid departs for the El-Arish Airport in Egypt," the External Affairs Minister said.

We continue to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine.

Second @IAF_MCC C17 aircraft carrying 32 tonnes of aid departs for the El-Arish Airport in Egypt. pic.twitter.com/bNJ2EOJPaW

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 19, 2023

India sent the first cache of aid, including medical and disaster relief, to Palestine on October 22.

The el-Arish airport is roughly 45 kilometres away from the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip.

Rafah is currently the only crossing point for humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, the crossing has not been fully operational since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after the terror group's October 7 rampage into Israel in which its fighters killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

As the conflict entered its seventh week, authorities in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip raised their death toll to 12,300, including 5,000 children.

Israel said that it was preparing to expand its offensive against Hamas militants to southern Gaza after air strikes killed dozens of Palestinians, including civilians reported to be sheltering at two schools.