Uzbekistan announces $1.5 million to Palestine relief agency

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced Tuesday that he ordered the allocation of $1.5 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

“We sincerely sympathize and express our condolences to all the families of the victims on the Palestinian and Israeli sides. I have decided to allocate $1.5 million to the UNRWA to provide all possible assistance to the residents of the Gaza Strip,” Mirziyoyev said in a meeting on hydropower projects, according to presidential spokesman Sherzod Asadov on Telegram.

Mirziyoyev said fighting between the Israeli army and the Palestinian group, Hamas, is aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the region, and offered condolences to all the families of the victims on both sides.

“We express our strong solidarity with the people of Palestine and support their right to establish their own independent state in accordance with previously adopted resolutions of the General Assembly and the UN Security Council,” said Mirziyoyev.

The Israeli army widened its air and ground attacks last weekend on the Gaza Strip --including houses and hospitals -- which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, including 8,525 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis. So far, 3,542​​​​​​​ children in Gaza have been also killed, according to official figures.

An Israeli blockade of the Strip has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a trickle that has been unable to satisfy the needs of the more than 2 million residents.​​​​​​​