ISTANBUL

Jordan on Thursday announced that it had sent a plane with humanitarian aid to Egypt for the Gaza Strip, which is under total lockdown and intense Israeli attacks.

In a statement, the Hashemite Charity Foundation said: “A humanitarian aid plane carrying mostly medical supplies was sent to Gaza on the instructions of King Abdullah II of Jordan.”

The relief plane was sent with the coordination of Egypt, the statement said, adding the relief supplies will be delivered to the health authorities in Gaza via the Rafah Border crossing.

King Abdullah II announced on Oct. 10 that his country would provide emergency aid to the Gaza Strip via Egypt.

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air, which Hamas said was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi​​​​​​​