Bangladesh has handed over humanitarian assistance to Palestine as directed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Ambassador of Palestine to Bangladesh Yousef SY Ramadan, among others, were present.
Read: At least 60% of Gaza's population displaced due to Israeli attacks: UN
The Ambassador received the token humanitarian assistance at a ceremony held at the Foreign Service Academy on Monday.
"This is the beginning. There will be many more," said Foreign Minister Momen, noting that this is the world's worst genocide on children.
The Palestine Ambassador thanked the government and people of Bangladesh for the love and respect that Bangladesh has been showing since the very beginning.
Pursuant to the directives of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, handed over the first instalment of humanitarian assistance consignments meant for the war-affected people of Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Envoy in Dhaka this afternoon.
The humanitarian assistance included dry food items including dry cake, biscuits, emergency medical items, sanitary items for women and children, etc.
The first instalment of the consignment contained 587 KG relief materials which was dispatched to Cairo, Egypt via regular flight of Egypt Airways.
Bangladesh Embassy in Cairo is coordinating with the Egyptian and Palestinian authority under the current arrangement of the disbursement of assistance in place.
The Foreign Minister expressed solidarity with the brotherly people of Palestine in this moment of crisis and assured Bangladesh’s possible support to the people of Palestine.
He also thanked the Egyptian Embassy in Dhaka and Egypt Airways for extending collaboration to dispatch this humanitarian assistance to Egypt for onward passage to Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing.
The Palestinian Envoy expressed deep appreciation and gratitude to the Prime Minister for the strong and steadfast support to the cause of Palestine and thanked the government for much needed assistance to the people in Gaza.
Bangladesh called upon the international community including the United Nations to condemn this heinous act and said the barbaric war must be put to a stop to prevent further deaths and suffering of innocent civilians as war victims.
Read: Palestinians in Gaza feel nowhere is safe amid unrelenting Israeli airstrikes
Bangladesh believes that the current war waged by Israel in Gaza targeting the civilians is not only asymmetric and disproportionate, but it is tantamount to collective punishment of Palestinian people in Gaza and in contravention of all fundamental principles of human rights and international civil accords and conventions, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladesh maintains that time has come for the international community to address the root causes of the on-going conflict.
Bangladesh underlined the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights to self-determination and supports a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its Capital as envisioned in the UNSC Resolutions.
Read: A large demonstration in Brussels calls for ceasefire in Gaza
Bangladesh also urged all parties concerned to come to the negotiation table to work towards achieving a lasting solution to the question of Palestine.