14 Palestinian Children Evacuated From Gaza Strip To Italy For Medical Care

JAKARTA - Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Friday 14 Palestinian children, many of whom had cancer, were evacuated to Italy for medical treatment.

Their children and families, totaling 45, on Wednesday had crossed the Rafah border from Gaza to Egypt, where they underwent medical examination at an Italian hospital in Cairo, officials said, quoted from Arab News on February 14.

They were flown to Italy by Italian military plane and welcomed at Rome's Ciampino Airport on Thursday night by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Treating the children is part of Italy's efforts to promote peace and dialogue in the region, he said on Friday.

Foreign Minister Tajani stressed that the arrival of these children is proof of Italy's diplomatic approach rooted in solidarity, which offers hope for those most vulnerable, quoted by the Daily Sabah.

The children will be treated at various Italian hospitals, with some living in Rome, while others heading to Turin and Milan.

Two children will receive treatment at the Bambino Gesu hospital at the Vatican, which previously treated nine Palestinian children by 2023. The nine children have been discharged, according to hospital officials.

Italy's efforts are part of a broader European initiative to care for children suffering from war-related injuries and illnesses in Gaza since the conflict began on October 7, 2023.

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto noted that every child brought to Italy symbolizes hope and commitment to the future.

Previously, the first eleven Palestinian children arrived in Italy in January 2024, followed by dozens of other children in the following months. Some were flown and some were transported by Italian naval vessels

Meanwhile, WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge in his post on Twitter wrote Gaza's children who needed health care to save their lives had been evacuated to a number of European countries.

"With the support of our partners, 12 countries in the European Region of WHO have received 772 patients from Gaza so far, including children battling cancer or suffering from severe war-related trauma," he tweeted.

Thanks to the countries that helped, Kluge hopes that what he does will inspire other parties.

"Thousands of other patients still require urgent medical attention outside Gaza," he tweeted.