Italy to treat 100 wounded Palestinian children: Defense Ministry

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Jan 2024 01:33
3 Shares

The Italian Defense Ministry confirms the start of the operation for the transport of 100 Palestinian children and their families from the Gaza Strip to Italian hospital facilities.

Palestinian children wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip are brought to the hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

One hundred Palestinian children wounded in Gaza are to receive medical treatment in Italian hospitals, the Italian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday.

The healthcare system has almost entirely collapsed in Gaza after more than three months of devastating Israeli bombardment in the besieged Palestinian Strip.

The ministry confirmed "the start of the operation for the transport of 100 Palestinian children and their families from the Gaza Strip to Italian hospital facilities."

The first 30 children are set to be transferred in the next few days "with an air force airlift between Italy and Egypt", the ministry indicated in a communique.

Another 30 children will arrive at the end of the month on board an Italian military ship, the "Nave Vulcano", which will soon leave Egypt's port of El Arish, it added.

The children will be hospitalized in several Italian cities, including Rome, Bologna, Florence and Genoa.

Separately, the ministry said it is in talks with countries in the region to set up an army field hospital.

Earlier Wednesday, seven wounded Palestinian children arrived in France for medical treatment, the second such evacuation to the European country after two other Palestinian children arrived in late December.

At least 25,700 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, according to the Health Ministry in the Strip.

The United Nations on Tuesday warned of a "looming threat of famine" in the territory.

Italian FM says arms to 'Israel' ceased after war on Gaza began

The Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani recently revealed that Italy had ceased its arms supplies to the Israeli occupation once the war on Gaza began.

According to Sputnik, Tajani made the revelation in response to Elly Schlein, the leader of Italy's opposition Democratic Party, who had previously urged the government to halt weaponry sales to the Middle East, "especially to Israel," to avoid fueling the continuing war.

During an interview for the Italian newspaper Quotidiano Nazionale on Friday, Tajani said, "It's all blocked. The period when the most weapons were sent to "Israel" was during the premiership of [former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe] Conte."

However, he noted that since the "outbreak of hostilities", all deliveries of "weapons systems and military equipment of any kind" have been suspended.