EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib thanks Belgium, Italy, and Türkiye for receiving patients
The European commissioner for equality, preparedness, and crisis management announced on Thursday that 38 patients and 99 of their relatives had been medically evacuated from Gaza.
"Through the Civil Protection Mechanism, 38 patients from Gaza & 99 relatives were medically evacuated last night," Hadja Lahbib said on US social media company X.
She thanked Belgium, Italy, and Türkiye for receiving the patients and the World Health Organization, Italy, Serbia, and Türkiye for providing transport.
Under a months-long Israeli embargo of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and equipment, the few remaining hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been hard-pressed to provide even basic medical care to the enclave’s more than 2 million residents.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal war in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, killing more than 61,700 Palestinians and devastating its health care system.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
