SEPANG: Malaysia's first shipment of humanitarian aid for Palestinians weighing 20 tonnes, including medical supplies, loaded on a special cargo plane, departed for Al-Arish International Airport, Egypt tonight.
The cargo plane took off at about 11.30 pm from the Cargo Terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here, and the humanitarian aid will then be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, acting as a partner to bring them into Gaza through the Rafah border.
The first shipment was part of 50 tonnes of goods totaling more than RM7 million collected through Ops Ihsan.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who witnessed the sending-off, said the delivery of humanitarian aid showed Malaysia's solidarity with the Palestinian people.
"Thank you for your concern, fellow Malaysians regardless of religion, or political background. This is the spirit of Malaysians as a whole.
"Here we see undivided solidarity with the Palestinian people," he told reporters.
Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his deputy Datuk Mohamad Alamin, Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali and Egyptian Ambassador to Malaysia Ragai Tawfik Said Nasr.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia had said Malaysia would focus on getting humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) news officer Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman, who is part of the aid mission team, said he would provide the best news reporting for Malaysians to follow the process of sending humanitarian aid from Malaysia.
"This is a new experience and it's my first time participating in a humanitarian mission but I feel grateful to be able to be part of this humanitarian mission," he said.
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. -- BERNAMA