Iraq has sent at least two aircraft carrying aid to Gaza in recent weeks, according to a report, as Iraqi officials were quoted by Rudaw, a Kurdish network based in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq.
The recent events are important because they show that Iraq is stepping up its role in the region. “A second Iraqi cargo aircraft this week, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, departed Baghdad on Wednesday, heading to Egypt’s northeastern Sinai Peninsula, Iraqi officials said,” Rudaw reported.
A member of Iraq’s Security Media Cell told Rudaw about the aircraft, saying the first plane had left on Monday. “He said the shipment is expected to be transferred from the airport in the coastal city of Arish into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing, around 45 kilometers away.” This is a typical way for aid to reach Gaza via Egypt, as many Arab countries have worked closely with the Egyptian state over the last two years to try to get aid into Gaza.
“From Baghdad to the Arab Republic of Egypt (al-Arish), we went to deliver the Iraqi government's aid to our brothers in Gaza,” the Iraqi official said.
Iraq is using C130s to deliver the aid, similar to how other countries in the region have used similar aircraft. During the Gaza war, some countries also airdropped aid over Gaza, and Jordan played a key role in these efforts.
Iraq has no relations with Israel, unlike Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, and other countries that do have relations with the Jewish State.
Iraq sends aid to Gaza as a sign of support
The Iraqis said that the aid is “as an embodiment of Iraq's steadfast position in support of the Palestinian cause, and stemming from the humanitarian commitment of the Iraqi government and people,” Rudaw noted.
“The shipment consisted of 12 tons of aid transported aboard a C-130 aircraft…within the framework of joint humanitarian cooperation between the two sides.” Iraq is showing that it is able to deliver aid in the region, and this is an attempt by Iraq to play a larger role in the region as an Arab state.
“We have called - and continue to call - for serious and responsible Arab action to save Gaza and reactivate UNRWA’s role in both Gaza and the West Bank,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani said in the past.
Iraq is now seeking to form a new government after the November elections.