Turkish plane carrying medical aid for Gazans lands in Egypt

Aid provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is unloaded at an airport in Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 4, 2024. An aid plane carrying 55 tons of aid and medical supplies arrived Friday in Lebanon from the United Arab Emirates, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. This aid was provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the report. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

ANKARA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish military plane carrying eight tons of medical supplies for Gaza and nine healthcare professionals landed at the Al Arish Airport in Egypt on Wednesday, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.

The medical team will support the treatment of the injured people in the Palestinian enclave in cooperation with the Egyptian Health Ministry.

On its return flight to Ankara, the plane will carry 23 patients with cancer and orthopedic problems, along with their 21 companions from Gaza, Anadolu reported.

Trkiye has so far dispatched 11 planes, carrying 700 tons of humanitarian aid and medical supplies, and one ship, carrying field hospital equipment and 20 ambulances for Gaza in coordination with Egyptian authorities, according to the news agency.

The Turkish health teams in Gaza City have finalized their work to identify possible locations for the field hospitals' service, Trkiye's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday.

"In the subsequent phase, we plan to provide health services to the injured and sick Palestinian people on-site," Koca added.

The efforts were made during a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, which started on Friday to facilitate the release of some hostages held by Hamas in exchange for some Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The total Palestinian death toll since the deadly Hamas-Israel conflict has surpassed 15,000, including more than 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, according to Palestinian figures. The Israeli offensive was in retaliation to a Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken captive. 

Aid provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is unloaded at an airport in Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 4, 2024. An aid plane carrying 55 tons of aid and medical supplies arrived Friday in Lebanon from the United Arab Emirates, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. This aid was provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the report. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)