Pakistan sends 5th tranche of humanitarian aid to Gaza

Pakistan on Sunday sent a fifth tranche of humanitarian assistance, consisting of winterised tents, tarpaulins, and blankets, to Gaza.

The consignment containing humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza was dispatched through a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) C-130, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a post on its official X handle, the ministry said: “The flight will land in Al-Arish, Egypt, where the Pakistani ambassador will receive the aid for onward delivery.”

This ongoing support underscored Pakistan’s continued commitment to addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza, said the ministry.

During the Israeli aggression, over 27,000 people, most of them women and children, have been martyred and over 66,000 have been wounded in the besieged territory since October 7.

In a statement, the Gaza health ministry said today that a total of 27,365 Palestinians have been killed and 66,630 have been injured in Israeli strikes.

Qatar said this week that Hamas had given its "initial" approval to a planned humanitarian pause in its war with Israel and an exchange of hostage-prisoner exchange.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said: "The meeting in Paris succeeded in consolidating the proposals."

The meeting was attended by Qatari, US, Israeli, and Egyptian officials.

"That proposal has been approved by the Israeli side and now we have an initial positive confirmation from the Hamas' side."

Ansari said there were hopes of "good news" about a new pause in the fighting "in the next couple of weeks".