The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark" on Sunday witnessed an oath-taking ceremony held on its board just before crossing the Chinese traditional maritime boundary line and entering the open sea.
The maritime hospital is composed of more than 100 medical personnel, who are mainly selected from the Naval Medical University, with others from the joint logistic support force as well as the medical servicemen of the Navy under the eastern, southern and northern theater commands.
During the ceremony with a theme of "farewell to the motherland," they took the solemn oath in front of the PLA flag. Sirens sounded, announcing that the hospital ship had crossed the boundary line.
The hospital ship set sail from a military port in Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province on the morning of June 16, for Mission Harmony-2024.
This is the 12th overseas voyage for "Peace Ark" since its commissioning in 2008, and also the 10th Mission Harmony for the vast hospital ship.
During the mission, the ship will visit 13 countries including Seychelles, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique, and South Africa, and offer free medical service to local residents, people in Chinese institutions, and overseas Chinese. It will also make port calls to France and Greece.
The hospital has 17 clinical departments and five auxiliary diagnostic departments, which can carry out more than 60 kinds of examination, treatment or surgery. The ship also carries a shipboard ambulance helicopter, with rapid forward emergency rescue capabilities.
This mission will be the longest voyage and the largest number of countries visited by the "Peace Ark" among the harmony missions.
The "Peace Ark" has traveled more than 290,000 nautical miles and visited 45 countries and regions, providing humanitarian medical services to over 290,000 people and conducting more than 1,700 surgeries.
Oath-taking ceremony held on board of PLA Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark"
Permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations (UN) Danny Danon on Thursday denied that any discussions had occurred between Israel and the UN regarding delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Danon made these remarks at the UN headquarters in response to a query from a China Central Television (CCTV) reporter about the ongoing failure to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel blocked the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the end of the first phase of a January ceasefire deal with Hamas. It resumed attacks on Gaza on March 18.
With no food, no supplies, and no relief in sight, Gazans have been enduring a relentless fight for survival.
In response to mounting international condemnation, Israel has proposed that its military take over the distribution of aid - a move widely criticized by the international community.
Briefing a Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher noted that the UN has met for over 12 times with the Israeli authorities regarding the latter's proposed aid distribution model, yet no solution had been found.
Danon, however, stated that no discussions have taken place in recent weeks regarding the issue.
"I don't know about that. Actually I listened to Mr. Fletcher's remarks at the Security Council the other day, and I can tell you that he visited Israel but he had no discussion about that fund because it was way back and in the last few weeks there was no dialogue about that. I would expect UN officials to engage when they want to speak about issues they know how to reach us, they know how to reach the U.S. mission. We are here to engage," he said.
"They got some information from the media, I assume. But I think they should look into that and to realize that if they want to be involved, that is the way to be involved," he added, reiterating that the UN has not reached out.
In response to Danon's denial, the United Nations reaffirmed its position, standing by the public statement released by Fletcher.
"I heard what he said, and we stand by what Mr. Fletcher has said," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General noted later on the day, commenting on Danon's statement.
"Mr. Fletcher gave the details," he continued.
Israel envoy denies discussions with UN on enabling Gaza aid deliveries
