New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS): India on Tuesday dispatched humanitarian assistance for the people of Palestine through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The first tranche of assistance comprising 30 tonnes of medicine and food items has departed.

Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for the MEA, posted on X, “India sends humanitarian assistance for the people of Palestine through UNRWA. The first tranche of assistance comprising 30 tonnes of medicine and food items has departed today. The consignment includes a wide range of essential medicines and surgical supplies, dental products, general medical items and high-energy biscuits.”

According to the post, this is the first tranche which includes a wide range of essential medicines and surgical supplies, dental products, general medical items and high-energy biscuits.

Earlier on October 18, India dispatched the first tranche of 11 tonnes of medical supplies to Lebanon as part of a humanitarian effort to support the nation amid rising tensions and the ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon. A total of 33 tonnes of medical supplies are being sent.

Earlier on July 13, India pledged to continue supporting the embattled UN agency helping Palestinians which is facing a financial crisis even as its needs have risen because of the Hamas-Israel conflict.

India’s support for the Palestinian cause is an integral part of the nation’s foreign policy. In 1974, India became the first non-Arab state to recognise Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. In 1988, India became one of the first countries to recognise the Palestinian State. In 1996, India opened its Representative Office in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003.

UNIFIL, which has been operational in the region since 1978, recently renewed its mandate for another year, stressing the importance of protecting its peacekeepers as violence continues to escalate in southern Lebanon.