Russian Humanitarian Aid to Be Distributed Among Gaza Hospitals

The Palestinian Foreign Minister welcomes the delivery of 26 tons of medical equipment and medicines sent by Russia as humanitarian aid.

MOSCOW, November 26 (Sputnik) — The new shipment of Russian humanitarian aid to Palestinians will be distributed among hospitals in Gaza, Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Taysir Jaradat said Wednesday.

"The cargo will be distributed among the hospitals of the Gaza Strip and will meet a large part of the Palestinians' needs. This help is very important for Palestine," Jaradat said, thanking Russia for its assistance as he greeted the plane.

On Wednesday, an IL-76 aircraft belonging to the Russian Emergencies Ministry carrying some 26 tons of humanitarian aid to be transported to Palestinian Authority landed in the Jordanian city of Amman.

According to Alexander Tomashov, deputy head of the ministry's international affairs department, the aid consists of "medical supplies, medicines, including those used in cancer treatment and surgery equipment."

"All the medicines are made in Russia," Tomashov told reporters.

He noted that three months ago Russia shipped another batch of humanitarian aid to Jordan, which mainly consisted of food and other necessities for Palestinian refugees. "We will continue to provide assistance for those in need," Tomashov stated.

In June, Israel launched a military operation against the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. The 50-day conflict, which claimed the lives of more than 2,200 Palestinians and some 70 Israelis, greatly aggravated the humanitarian situation in Gaza. According to the United Nations, some 500,000 Palestinians were displaced at the height of the conflict and some 108,000 currently remain homeless.