Jordan announces airdrop of urgent medical aid to Gaza for the second time

A plane belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force dropped "urgent medical aid" over Gaza, designated for the Jordanian field hospital, for the second time since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to a statement by the Jordanian army on Sunday.

A responsible military source in the General Command of the Armed Forces stated, "Under royal directives, a plane belonging to the Royal Air Force dropped urgent medical aid for the second time by parachutes to the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza on Saturday."

He added that "the landing operation was carried out in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to enhance and develop the capabilities of the hospital and increase the capacity of medical staff to provide health and treatment services to alleviate the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip," without giving further clarification.

He explained that "this step is a continuation of the efforts of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to stand by our brothers in the face of the war on Gaza," noting that "the hospital continues to operate despite the difficult conditions it faces due to the continuous Israeli bombing of the sector."

Jordan's King Abdullah II had announced the airdrop of "urgent medical aid" to Gaza for this hospital early last Monday, affirming at the time, "This is our duty to help the wounded and injured who are suffering from the war in Gaza."

 

The commander of the field hospital, Colonel Thaer Al-Khatib, stated on Tuesday that the first shipment included "the dropping of three parcels at a pre-designated site," each containing "a total of 1000 kilograms of medical and pharmaceutical materials and essential supplies."

Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh announced on Tuesday that his country would receive 41 Palestinian children with cancer from the Gaza Strip for treatment at specialized centers in Amman.

 

Since the outbreak of the war on October 7, Jordan has witnessed almost daily solidarity protests with the Palestinians, calling for the cancellation of the peace treaty signed between Jordan and Israel in 1994 and the closure of the Israeli embassy in Amman. 

The kingdom recalled its ambassador to Israel on November 2, condemning the "raging Israeli war on Gaza that kills innocents and causes an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe." It also informed Israel of not sending back its ambassador who had left the country earlier.

On the Palestinian side, more than 11,078 people, including over 4,506 children, have been killed in the Israeli bombing of Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health affiliated with Hamas.

After five weeks of the war, Israel announced on Friday a reduction in the death toll of the attack launched by Hamas from 1,400 to 1,200, stating that "this toll is not final."

AFP