Türkiye has delivered 24 tonnes of food aid for Gaza as part of its ongoing humanitarian support for Palestinians, the National Defence Ministry has announced.
A Turkish Air Force A400M military cargo plane transported the aid, landing at Amman Civil Airport in Jordan earlier in the day, the ministry said on Thursday.
The supplies will be transferred to Gaza through Jordanian authorities, who have been a key transit partner for humanitarian assistance to the besieged region.
Türkiye’s continued humanitarian efforts
Türkiye has been actively providing medical, food, and emergency aid to Gaza since the beginning of Israeli aggression after October 7, 2023. It has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, and a lasting ceasefire.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, Türkiye has vowed to continue its relief efforts in cooperation with regional partners and international organizations.
Aid to Lebanon
The Turkish state aid agency has also announced the donation of an ambulance to a Lebanese hospital.
In a ceremony at the Sidon Turkish Trauma and Rehabilitation Hospital, Lebanese Health Minister Firas al-Abyad expressed his gratitude to Türkiye for providing aid, especially medical supplies, during recent Israeli attacks.
He also thanked the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) for donating an ambulance and its continued support on Thursday.
Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Murat Lutem said: “The Sidon Turkish Trauma and Rehabilitation Hospital, opened to give aid in the humanitarian crisis caused by the 2006 Israeli invasion, is once again fulfilling this role due to similar incursions, standing as a manifestation of solidarity between Türkiye and Lebanon.”
Inspecting the hospital after the ceremony, he said it provides “exemplary” service and added: “I can say with pride that the hospital operates with an infrastructure as advanced as the hospitals in our country, providing critical services in times of crisis to the Lebanese people.”
Turkish hospital working to step up care
The Turkish Trauma and Rehabilitation Hospital in Sidon, 44 km south of Beirut, features an emergency department, intensive care units, operating rooms, and technical units. It also includes a patient care section with administrative offices and hospital beds.
The hospital reopened last November after Israeli attacks and continues to work to provide services at full capacity.
Casualties of war
The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has reportedly killed over 47,460 Palestinians, causing widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children, making it one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the Palestinian enclave.
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