Around 10 Gazan children to arrive in Italy to be treated in hospitals

By Giovanni Legorano

ROME (AA) - Around 10 Palestinian child patients from Gaza will arrive on Monday night in Italy to be hospitalized in the country, the Italian Defense Ministry said.

The children, who suffered wounds and injuries in the enclave ravaged by the war between Israel and Hamas, will be flown together with family members accompanying them on a military plane to the Ciampino airport, near Rome.

They are the first group of child patients to be flown to Italy under an international accord to assist children hit by the war.

The ministry said the children had crossed the Rafah border into Egypt three days ago and were initially cured by Egyptian doctors in local hospitals.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to Egyptian health officials for their support, which made this humanitarian mission possible,” Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.

“It is only through international cooperation that we can address such big challenges and guarantee the safety of the most vulnerable.”

He also said that Italy “will continue to help the Palestinian civilians, who are blameless victims of Hamas terrorists.”