In El-Arish, Egypt, the 9M-WCA cargo aircraft carrying the first phase of humanitarian aid to Palestine has successfully landed. This operation, codenamed “Ops Ihsan”, was chartered by the Malaysian Government. The aircraft departed from KL International Airport on November 3 and arrived safely at El-Arish Military Airport on November 4, around 8.50am local time. The journey covered a distance of 7,688 kilometers and lasted for 15 hours. The plane made a stopover at Chennai International Airport in India and Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates before reaching its destination.
The aid, which consists of 20 tonnes of medical supplies, baby items, and food, has been handed over to representatives from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society. They will be responsible for delivering the aid into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. The El-Arish Military Airport, situated in the North Sinai governorate, is approximately 50km away from the Rafah border. Originally, the aid was planned to land at El-Arish International Airport, but due to its closure since last year, the Ops Ihsan team was directed to land at the military airport.
Once the aid surpasses the Rafah border, it will be transferred to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society at the Nitzana border for distribution. Ops Ihsan is a joint initiative by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and 45 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Global Peace Mission Malaysia, Mercy Malaysia, BeVital, MyAqsa Defenders, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Aman Palestine, Persatuan Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia (WADAH), Cinta Gaza Malaysia, and the Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA).
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, along with Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and mission heads, attended the ceremony that marked the sending-off of the aid on November 3. Another flight is scheduled to depart on November 10 to deliver an additional 20 tonnes of aid. Since October 7, the recent clashes between Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, and the Israeli regime have led to the loss of numerous lives on both sides. – Bernama
