Belgium to Evacuate Medical Patients from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict

Belgium to Receive Medical Patients from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict

On Monday, Belgium is set to begin the process of admitting a total of 12 medical patients from Gaza, as the Israel-Hamas war stretches into its 10th month. Among those being evacuated are three young children, aged between 6 and 10, who are in urgent need of cancer treatment. Each child will be accompanied by family members on this critical journey.

This operation comes on the heels of Spain’s recent welcoming of 16 young patients and their families, marking what is anticipated to be the start of a series of similar evacuations. This initiative follows the European Union’s commitment to assist Gaza, facilitated through a partnership with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and the World Health Organization.

Tareq Hailat, the Head of the Treatment Abroad Program for PCRF, explained, “These patients have been evacuated through the PCRF prior to the Rafah closure to Egypt, using it as a central hub before being transferred to Belgium. It is important to understand that this journey is incredibly challenging. These children have lost everything—they have been uprooted from their homes and separated from loved ones.”

As the Israeli air and ground offensive continues in the Gaza Strip, many Palestinians are fleeing areas like Khan Younis, following evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military.

The transportation of these young patients was facilitated by a Slovakian medical aircraft, marking the second such mission of its kind. Hailat elaborated, “Each participating country selects patients based on criteria that align with their capabilities to provide assistance. Spain has focused on patients with orthopedic issues and chronic conditions, while Belgium is concentrating on oncology patients.”

The children will remain in Europe throughout their treatment period, with the hope of returning home only when a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Recently, the conflict has intensified, resulting in a tragic number of child casualties on both sides.

Children at the Center of the Conflict

On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes targeted a school being utilized by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 30 individuals, including numerous children. This attack occurred as Israel’s negotiators were preparing to engage with international mediators regarding a potential ceasefire.

Among the deceased were seven children and seven women, whose bodies were transported from the girls’ school in Deir al-Balah to Al Aqsa Hospital. Israel’s military claimed that the strike aimed at a Hamas command center believed to be involved in directing assaults against Israeli forces and storing “large quantities of weapons.” However, Hamas refuted this claim, asserting that it was false.

Additionally, a rocket strike on a soccer field resulted in the deaths of at least 12 children and teenagers, according to Israeli authorities. This escalation in violence has also seen increased hostilities between Israel and Lebanese militant groups.

In a separate incident, a 2-year-old Palestinian child, Siwar Abdel-Hadi, was injured during the Israeli bombardment in Gaza and is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Deir al-Balah.

In response to these conflicts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hezbollah that they would “pay a heavy price for this attack, one that they have not yet faced.” The Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, described the recent violence as the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since the Hamas assault on October 7, which ignited the current war.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 39,200 Palestinians, according to figures from the Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its statistics. Furthermore, the United Nations estimated in February that around 17,000 children in the region are now unaccompanied, a figure that is likely to have increased in the intervening months.