The opening of the island, known as Sindalah, comes amid persistent doubts about NEOM's viability
world1 week ago
Israel and the World Health Organisation said more than 200 Gazans, both patients and their carers, were evacuated to the UAE or Romania on Wednesday for medical treatment.
In total, the group numbered some 230 people, according to the WHO and COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories.
"This is the largest number of patients and caregivers who have left through the Kerem Shalom crossing in recent months," COGAT said in a statement.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
The operation was carried out in cooperation with the UAE, the European Union and the WHO, it added.
The humanitarian initiative saw the evacuation of 86 critically wounded patients from the Gaza Strip – including children and cancer patients in need of extensive treatment, accompanied by 124 of their family members – to Abu Dhabi from Ramon Airport in Israel, via the Kerem Shalom crossing, to receive vital medical treatment. The flight was the UAE’s 22nd evacuation. To date, 2,127 patients and companions have been evacuated to the UAE.
Watch the video below:
The UAE has undertaken robust efforts to provide advanced healthcare to sick and severely injured Palestinians. Since it began operations on December 2nd, 2023, the UAE Field Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip has treated 50,489 cases. Moreover, since its launch in February 2024, the hospital floating ship anchored in Al-Arish Port has treated 6,405 cases so far.
Notably, the UAE has provided over 43,000 tonnes of urgent aid, including food, medical, and relief supplies to Palestinian people.
WHO appreciated UAE's efforts in evacuating the patients from Gaza.
"This morning in UAE, @DrMikeRyan welcomed over 80 patients from #Gaza, who were evacuated by @WHOoPt team and partners, for specialised care -- the majority need treatment for cancer or their injuries," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said in a post on X.
"Once again, we are deeply grateful to @mofauae for their support and collaboration on this highly complex mission, which is absolutely necessary as people's lives depend on critical healthcare services.
"We once again urge for the rapid approval of medical evacuations, for ending denials of health care, and for using all possible crossings for medical evacuations.
"The best medicine is peace, for all patients in Gaza," he added.
The WHO said the "patients included those with autoimmune diseases, blood diseases, cancer, kidney conditions and trauma injuries".
The patients were transferred from Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel, and then to Ramon Airport near Eilat in southern Israel.
The WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, had said on Tuesday that those on the evacuation list were among up to 14,000 people currently waiting in Gaza to be evacuated for medical reasons.
Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to Gaza health ministry figures which the United Nations considers to be reliable.
The ministry also lists 102,347 people as having been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began.
Peeperkorn said that fewer than 5,000 people had been granted medical evacuations out of the territory since the war began.
ALSO READ:
The opening of the island, known as Sindalah, comes amid persistent doubts about NEOM's viability
world1 week ago
The Israeli Prime Minister's office issued the statement in response to what it referred to as a 'completely false' local television report about US pressure on Israel
world1 week ago
Israeli President Isaac Herzog termed the United States as a 'true ally'
world1 week ago
'All acts of escalation are condemnable and must stop', said the spokesman for the Secretary-General
world1 week ago
Indian agencies have uncovered a network that sold fake tickets or charged exorbitant prices for legitimate ones for both concerts
world1 week ago
Saturday's attack was one of the deadliest attacks in the area in recent months
world1 week ago
Satellite data from Brazil's space research agency Inpe showed that Bolivia had 70,628 fire hot-spots up until September 22
world1 week ago
According to airport authorities, flight operations will be halted starting 6:00 PM on Thursday
world2 weeks ago