Three humanitarian flights transporting a group of Palestinian patients from Gaza are expected to arrive in Italy this evening, as part of the medical evacuation and reception operations carried out by the Italian Government.
Among those on board will be young Adam and his mother, Alaa Alnajjar, who lost their entire family in Gaza in recent weeks. They will be welcomed at Milan Linate Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, who has advocated for the resumption of Italy’s programme to receive Palestinian patients for medical treatment in our country. To date, these medical evacuations have enabled 133 children from Gaza to be admitted to health facilities across Italy. These operations have also been made possible thanks to the support of the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, who has consistently ensured the availability of Armed Forces resources for the organisation of these transfers.
Today’s operation marks the most significant medical evacuation mission carried out so far, involving wounded and ill minors, totalling 17 patients accompanied by 53 family members – 70 individuals in all.
The group’s departure from Gaza has been made possible through intensive diplomatic efforts, which involved the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Consulate General in Jerusalem, and officials from the Presidency of the Council. The medical evacuation is being carried out with the support of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and the World Health Organisation, thanks to the close coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of the Interior, and the Civil Protection Department.
In order to adequately transport all the patients – many of whom suffer from mobility issues – the Defence Force has deployed three C-130 aircraft from the Italian Air Force, departing this afternoon from Eilat airport in Israel. On board the aircraft, military medical teams and personnel from the Italian Red Cross, Civil Protection, and the Crisis Unit of the Foreign Ministry are present to provide continuous medical assistance.
The flights are destined for Milan, Verona, Pratica di Mare, and Pisa. Upon arrival in Italy, the patients will be immediately admitted to hospitals throughout the country to receive the necessary medical care. The following hospitals have confirmed their availability: Regina Margherita in Turin; Niguarda and Policlinico in Milan; Papa Giovanni XXIII in Bergamo; the University Hospitals of Padua and Verona; Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence; Apuano Paediatric Hospital in Massa; Maggiore Hospital in Bologna; Policlinico in Modena; and both Gemelli and Bambino Gesù hospitals in Rome.
This operation is part of the Italian Government’s broader and constant commitment to support the population of Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, through the provision of humanitarian aid, food, and assistance. With this mission, the total number of Palestinian patients evacuated from Gaza and treated in Italian medical facilities rises to 150, along with over 450 accompanying family members. Italy thus reaffirms its position as the fourth country globally – and the leading Western nation – to have organised the evacuation and transfer to specialized hospitals of patients from the Gaza Strip.
