Benjamin Netanyahu had been in touch with PM Modi since the beginning of the outbreak (File)
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for rushing a five-tonne cargo of medicines, including anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, seen as a possible cure for COVID-19.
"Thank you, my dear friend @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India, for sending Chloroquine to Israel. All the citizens of Israel thank you!", Mr Netanyahu said in a tweet Thursday evening.
Benjamin Netanyahu thanked India two days after a plane carrying materials used to make medicines for treating coronavirus patients arrived in Israel from India on Tuesday.
The five tonne shipment included ingredients for drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, being seen worldwide as the best possible cure as of now for treating COVID-19 patients.
The dreaded coronavirus has infected nearly 10,000 people in Israel and claimed 86 lives. As many as 121 others are on ventilator in critical condition.
The consignment reached Israel within days of Mr Netanyahu requested the supply of hydroxychloroquine during a phone conversation with PM Modi on April 3.
India, however, had to restrict its export to meet domestic contingencies.
Mr Netanyahu had been in touch with PM Modi since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. He had made a special request on March 13 urging PM Modi to approve and allow the export of masks and pharmaceuticals to Israel.
"I also spoke to the prime minister of India, my friend Narendra Modi. We are dependent on supply lines from various countries. We are looking into it all the time," Benjamin Netanyahu had then said while addressing a press conference.
The Israeli leader spoke to PM Modi a second time on April 3 to discuss various steps to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
Benjamin Netanyahu's thanks to India comes soon after US President Donald Trump said India's help in the extraordinary times "will not be forgotten".