EU organizes medical evacuation of 8 patients from Gaza to Europe

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Eight patients accompanied by 25 relatives have been transferred from Gaza to hospitals in Belgium, Romania and Spain, the European commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management said Thursday.

"The humanitarian tragedy continues in Gaza. The war has led to a near complete shutdown of the medical system," Hadja Lahbib wrote on X.

She noted that the transfer of the patients and relatives was made via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

This is EU solidarity, she added.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, killing nearly 44,600 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 105,700.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions denouncing the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 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 deadly war on Gaza.