MARDAN: Members of Pakistan’s best known charity, the Edhi Foundation, have started the process to obtain permission to fly to Palestine for relief work, the head of the organisation, Faisal Edhi, said on Monday.
The death toll in Gaza jumped to 192, including 58 children, the Palestinian health ministry said on Monday, amid an intensive Israeli air and artillery barrage since the fighting erupted last Monday.
“We have submitted visa applications with the Palestine embassy in Islamabad and hope to get the visas tomorrow,” Edhi told Arab News, saying he was appealing to people to donate for relief and humanitarian work in Gaza but had set up an initial fund of Rs30 million to purchase medicines, tents and other items.
“We hope that people will come forward and add more money to our initial Rs30 million set up for purchasing medicines and tents, which are immediate requirements due to injuries and homelessness of people as a result of war,” Edhi said. “The Palestinian ambassador was very happy when I told him about our intention to visit Palestine and taking help there,” Edhi added about his meeting with the Palestinian envoy in Islamabad.
He said he planned to cross over into Gaza from Egypt and was thus awaiting permission to do so from Egyptian authorities, saying in 2014, he and his late father waited for ten days on the Egyptian border but were denied entry into Gaza.
