NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Russia has sent 27 tonnes of humanitarian aid for the civilians in Gaza, with plans to transport it through Egypt, according to Moscow’s emergency situations ministry.
“A special plane has taken off from the airport at Ramenskoye near Moscow for El-Arish in Egypt. The Russian humanitarian aid will be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent to be sent to the Gaza Strip,” said Deputy Minister Ilya Denisov in a statement.
Denisov mentioned that the aid includes essentials like wheat, sugar, rice, and pasta.
US President Joe Biden unveiled a deal on Wednesday to facilitate the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, as one million people have been displaced from their homes due to Israeli air strikes.
As part of this agreement, a limited number of trucks will be allowed to cross the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza starting from Friday.
Meanwhile, UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also arrived in Israel, where he is expected to emphasise the urgency of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
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This visit comes following President Biden’s trip, as global leaders intensify their efforts to prevent the conflict with Hamas from spreading further.
During his visit, Sunak will meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and express his condolences for the civilian casualties. He stated, “Every civilian death is a tragedy,” adding that “too many lives have been lost following Hamas’s horrific act of terror.”
UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is set to engage with leaders in Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar in the coming days. He aims to seek support for a peaceful resolution in Israel and Gaza, pushing for an agreement on humanitarian access to Gaza and the release of British hostages held by Hamas.
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Officials have also noted that Defence Secretary Grant Shapps met with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, in Washington to coordinate their approach. The government is determined to utilise all available diplomatic means swiftly, particularly in light of the widely anticipated Israeli ground offensive in Gaza.