NEW DELHI, Oct 22, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - India on Sunday flew 38.5 tonnes of 
humanitarian aid to Egypt's Sinai region for Palestinian civilians from the 
embattled Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said.

An Indian air force Boeing C-17 transport plane "carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes 
of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for the people of 
Palestine" departed for Egypt's El Arish airport, foreign ministry spokesman 
Arindam Bagchi said.

"The material includes essential life-saving medicines, surgical items, 
tents, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, sanitary utilities, water purification 
tablets among other necessary items", Bagchi posted on social media.

War broke out two weeks ago between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist militant 
movement which rules the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, home to 2.4 million 
people.

Israel's military has pounded Gaza with relentless strikes in response to 
Hamas's murderous October 7 attack, in which militants killed at least 1,400 
people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death, 
according to Israeli officials.

The bombing campaign has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly 
civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and reduced swathes of 
the densely populated territory to smouldering ruins.

India condemned Hamas for the "terrorist attack", but it has also reiterated 
its longstanding position for an independent Palestinian state.

Israel has repeatedly urged the 1.1 million people in the north of Gaza to 
move south ahead of any ground operation.

After negotiations and US pressure, food, water and medicine, but no fuel, 
crossed from Egypt into Gaza on Saturday.

The Hamas government has criticised the lack of aid arriving, despite the 
arrival of 20 trucks in the Palestinian territory on Saturday. It said there 
were now 1.4 million displaced people in the enclave.