Oman Charitable Organization (OCO) will start operating flights of emergency aid to Palestinians who have been suffering from Israeli military strikes, the English newspaper Oman Daily Observer reported on Sunday.

OCO's move on Sunday is in line with the directive of Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said to send relief aid to Palestinians in Gaza, according to the report.

The relief aid, which includes medicines, foodstuff, power generators for hospitals and other requirements, will be airlifted from Omani capital of Muscat to Egypt's Al Areesh Airport and will then be transported by land to Gaza.

On Saturday, Israel's ground troops entered the Hamas-ruled Gaza for the second phase of its offensive on the militant group after eight days of airstrikes.

About 20 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, were killed Saturday evening during Israel's ground invasion in Gaza, according to media reports.

Israel's military action, aimed at retaliating for Hamas militants' rocket attacks into Israel, has killed at least 460 Palestinians and wounded more than 2,300 others in the past week.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2009)