"The assistance arrived in Cairo after a 12-hour flight with Garuda Indonesia A330-900 aircraft, which also transported Indonesia's delegation for the humanitarian mission," National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Suhartoyo stated.
According to the statement received here on Friday, humanitarian assistance worth Rp15.1 billion (US$951.3 thousand) for Palestine comprised medicines, health equipment, and other needs requested by the Egyptian authorities through their diplomatic note to Indonesia.
A representative from the Egyptian health ministry symbolically received the Indonesian logistics assistance, he noted.
The assistance was handed over to the Egyptian authority, considering that more than 1.5 million Palestinians are currently sheltered in Rafah, a city in the southern part of Gaza Strip, which borders Egypt.
Moreover, several Palestinian victims receive medical treatment at hospitals in Egypt.
The assistance was delivered in accordance with direct instruction from President Joko Widodo, who personally sent off the humanitarian mission and assistance from Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase on Wednesday (April 3).
Related news: Indonesia sends Rp30 billion in aid to Palestine, Sudan
Suhartoyo remarked that the assistance accentuated Indonesia's commitment to preserving world peace and actively contributing to humanitarian missions to respond to natural disasters or conflicts.
The agency head expressed hope that Indonesia's assistance to the Palestinian people through the Egyptian authorities will benefit Palestinians sheltered at refugee centers and under medical treatment in Egypt.
"We hope our assistance can help alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people due to conflict in the Gaza Strip, even if only by a little," Suhartoyo stated.
He also expressed hope that the humanitarian assistance delivery to Palestine would bolster cordial relations between Indonesia and Egypt.
The Israeli genocidal aggression in the Gaza Strip erupted following a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel early in the morning of October 7, 2023.
Israel’s attacks in Gaza have killed 32,333 people, leaving 74,694 injured and 8,100 people missing, according to local authorities. Palestinians in northern and central Gaza have fled to Rafah in the enclave's southern part.
Related news: Baznas distributing Gaza food aid worth Rp2 billion during Ramadan
Translator: Sugiharto P, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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