Tgcom24
A first group of injured Palestinian children arrived at Ciampino military airport, with an Air Force C130 coordinated by the Joint Forces Summit Command and coming from Al Arish. There are ten children (plus one adult) who will be treated in Italian hospital facilities. The arrival was announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in response to a question on the Middle Eastern crisis after the Italy-Africa summit. The Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, also announced a few days ago the start of the operation for the transport of 100 Palestinian children and their families from the Gaza Strip to Italy.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, welcomed this first group. Four children were transferred to the Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome with their carers, who will in turn be hosted in the same facility. The injured adult, however, is at the San Camillo hospital in the capital. The flight will then continue to Pisa where six more children will disembark, three of whom will then be transferred to the Gaslini hospital in Genoa and three to the Meyer hospital in Florence.
In Egypt from the Rafah crossing The children, who arrived in Egypt only three days ago through the Rafah crossing, were first treated and stabilized by Egyptian health workers in local hospital facilities. Subsequently, our military health team, the Defense personnel, that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and of the Gaslini hospital, worked in close coordination to make possible the transfer of the first children with their respective companions who arrived by aircraft. Air Force C-130J. The little ones, who as always happens in these situations may be accompanied by some family member, will be transferred to the Bambino Gesù, the Gaslini in Genoa and the Meyer in Florence. Hospitals are equipped to deal with highly complex situations (such as trauma or injuries from explosions) as has already happened in other situations, such as the recent one of the injured children welcomed by Ukraine.
The words of the minister The other minors with their accompanying family members will be transported on a subsequent flight and on the Navy ship Vulcano, which will set sail on Wednesday 31 January. “I want to express my profound gratitude to the Egyptian institutions and healthcare workers for their support, which made this humanitarian mission possible. Only with international cooperation can we face such great challenges and guarantee the safety of the most vulnerable people” underlined the minister, who then added: “Our country will continue to help the Palestinian civilian population, the innocent victim of Hamas terrorists. We are ready to welcome these Palestinian children and their families”.