Palestinian children evacuated from Egypt to Italy for medical treatment

Eight Palestinian children from Gaza with severe medical conditions were evacuated from Egypt to Italy on Thursday where they will receive treatment in hospitals across the country.

The children, who range in age from newborns to a 17 year-old, have conditions requiring specialised medical care complex heart defects, cancer, severe trauma involving multiple fractures in the skull and legs and third degree burns.

The evacuation, supported by the US-based Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), is the third mission of its kind in recent weeks.

It comes after PCRF, the World Health Organisation and the European Commission agreed on a framework last month designed to facilitate the evacuation and treatment of injured Palestinian children in hospitals across Europe.

PCRF also supported the evacuation of eight other patients who were on the same flight. 

Vivian Khalaf, PCRF’s board chairwoman said: “The evacuation of these 16 children is a critical step, yet it underscores the urgent and ongoing need for a more sustainable solution to address the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ensure that all children receive the care they deserve.”

Thousands of children in Gaza facing severe medical conditions are currently denied exit and access to necessary treatment as the Rafah and Karam Abu Salem crossings remain closed, PCRF said.

“Each evacuation represents hope for these children and their families,” Tareq Hailat, PCRF’s Treatment Abroad Program head, said, adding that his organisation seeks new partnerships to enhance its response.

“We continue to call for increased international action to overcome the systemic challenges and barriers that prevent the evacuation and treatment of all children in need,” he said.