Forty-one Palestinian civilians who suffered various injuries in the war in Gaza were flown to Malaysia on Friday for treatment, officials said.
The Palestinians, aged between eight months and 62 years, were flown to the majority Muslim nation from the Egyptian capital Cairo onboard two Malaysian air force transport aircraft.
“We carried out this mission purely on humanitarian considerations, and to show our solidarity against what is happening to the people of Palestine,” Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin told a news conference after receiving the patients. “It also shows our nation’s stand against this inhumane genocide.”
Nordin said the injured were selected after a “careful evaluation” to ensure they were fit for the 19-hour flight that made a stopover in Karachi, Pakistan.
The injured were accompanied by 86 family members or next of kin.