Venezuela sends more humanitarian aid to Gaza

VENEZUELA: Venezuela has sent a second batch of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

A Venezuelan air force plane loaded with aid supplies took off Tuesday from the international airport of Maiquetia, 25 km northeast of the capital Caracas, a ministry press communique said.

The 84 tons of aid includes 50 tons of food, 19 tons of medicines and medical materials, 10 tons of water and five tons of commodities. The plane will make one stop in Luxembourg before unloading in Cairo, capital of Egypt, from where the aid will be sent to Palestine over land.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, who supervised the aid shipment, said at the airport that the Venezuelan government is also considering sending doctors to assist the aid process coordinated by the United Nations.

Maduro reiterated his country's strong opposition to "the blackmail of Palestine by some national and international rightists," saying "Venezuela condemns the crimes committed against the Palestinian people and cooperative governments including the United States."

Venezuela has expelled the Israeli ambassador in protest against the recent Israeli military incursion into Gaza. The 22-day Israeli military offensive against Palestine, which ended in a ceasefire Saturday, killed at least 1,300 people and injured 5,500, most of them innocent civilians.

Caracas, Thursda, Xinhua