CAIRO — The first Saudi relief plane, carrying 35 tons of relief supplies meant for Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, took off from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, heading to Arish International Airport in the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt. The relief aid will be transported to those afflicted by the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza. The cargo plane carries on board various relief supplies and shelter materials. This was part of the Saudi popular campaign to succor the Palestinian people in Gaza in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The King and the Crown Prince ordered last Thursday the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to launch the popular fundraising campaign through its Sahem platform. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor to the Royal Court and general supervisor of the KSrelief, said in a press statement that this humanitarian aid embodies the noble humanitarian sense and utmost keenness of the Saudi government on helping brothers and friends all over the world, in accordance with the righteous approach that the Kingdom has followed ever since its inception. Dr. Al-Rabeeah said that this air bridge will continue over the coming days and the KSrelief is studying the extent of the possibility of operating a sea bridge according to the need and speed of arrival. He also emphasized the humanitarian role that the Kingdom plays in extending a helping hand to brotherly and friendly countries during various crises and tribulations, and embodying the depth of fraternal relations and bonds of kinship that bind Saudi Arabia with Palestine. It is noteworthy that a specialized team from KSrelief has continued to hold coordination meetings in Cairo with a number of agencies and organizations to discuss ways to promptly deliver Saudi aid to the Gaza Strip. Among the meetings, the team met Jeremy Hopkins, representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for Egypt, on Wednesday. They discussed ways to make delivery of relief supplies to the afflicted Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. The team also met with Executive Director of the Egyptian Red Crescent Dr. Rami Al-Nazir and Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, regional director World Health Organization (WHO) for the Eastern Mediterranean. The KSrelief team arrived in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the mechanism for the delivery of Saudi aid to the Palestinian people. These efforts come within Saudi Arabia's historical role of standing by the Palestinian people in the various crises and tribulations they have experienced.
