Between Monday and Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate new evacuation operations for Palestinian children in need of medical treatment, as well as for students from the Gaza Strip.
The Italian Foreign Ministry has requested authorisations for the transfer of an initial group of patients – 15 children together with their families and accompanying persons – due to arrive tomorrow, Monday 29 September. Three C-130 aircraft of the Italian Air Force will land in Ciampino, Lecce Galatina and Verona. Among the patients is little Tuleen, a young girl affected by a severe congenital malformation.
Thanks to this latest medical evacuation, nearly 200 children from Gaza and their families – a total of 657 people – will have been received in Italy under the Government’s medical assistance operations. Italy thus confirms its role as the first among Western countries to have organised the evacuation and transfer of patients from the Strip to specialised hospitals.
On Wednesday 1 October, the arrival of 73 people is planned, including students and family reunifications, aboard two Guardia di Finanza flights from Amman to Ciampino and Linate. The aircraft are being equipped with the support of Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), Civil Protection and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
The operations are being carried out under the coordination of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior and Civil Protection, in cooperation with WHO and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The operation expands Italy’s humanitarian efforts for the civilian population of the Gaza Strip to include medical and healthcare assistance, as part of the Food for Gaza project.
