Colombia to provide treatment to wounded Palestinian children
3 Min Read
Colombia will be flying in wounded Palestinian children alongside their parents to provide them with medical treatment.
-
Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks at the José María Córdoba military academy and base, in Bogota, Colombia, May 31, 2024. (AP)
A Colombian military hospital will provide medical treatment to Palestinian children who sustained injuries in the Israeli war on Gaza, according to a plan announced Thursday by the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs Elizabeth Taylor Jay revealed that the children, accompanied by their families, would be flown to Colombia for rehabilitation. However, she did not disclose the number of children expected, the timeline for their arrival, or the duration of their stay in the country.
Colombia will be the latest country to provide medical treatment to wounded Palestinians amid a collapsing healthcare sector in Gaza besides the UAE, Jordan, and Germany, though what sets it apart from the remainder of the countries is its severing of ties with "Israel".
Taylor Jay highlighted the readiness of Colombian military doctors to treat injured children, citing their extensive experience gained from Colombia's own prolonged internal conflict.
Palestine's ally
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Saturday the suspension of coal exports to "Israel," pledging that the exports would cease "until the genocide is stopped."
He also announced on May 1 that he would sever diplomatic relations with "Israel" for its genocidal actions in Gaza, which have thus far killed over 37,232 and wounded 85,037 others.
Petro previously sharply attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged that the International Court of Justice hear South Africa's lawsuit against "Israel".
Colombia in April called on countries that are parties to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to support South Africa's genocide case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice.
"We send an open invitation to all the countries-parties to the Convention, of which there are 150. This is a significant number, representing two-thirds of the international community. We call on them to follow our example: to submit their statements and actively participate in the process, supporting South Africa and sending a message to Israel that it cannot continue its current action," he said.
Petro warned in March that if "Israel" doesn't comply with the United Nations Security Council ceasefire resolution in Gaza, the country would break diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.
In January, Petro also called for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the South African legal team in recognition of their lawsuit against "Israel".
Petro previously dubbed "Israel's" crimes in Gaza as "Nazi".
