Sick and injured children from Gaza arrive for care in Italy

Children and carers on first rescue flight

Source: Vatican News/ICN

Several sick and injured children from Gaza have arrived in Italy to receive urgently-needed care from several hospitals, thanks to an initiative set in motion by Fr Ibrahim Faltas, the Vicar of Custody of Holy Land, and made possible through Italy's support.

A special flight from the Gaza Strip has taken the first 11 children - who are seriously ill or injured from the massive bombardments and fighting - to Rome's Ciampino military airport on Monday evening.

Had they stayed in Gaza, treatment would have been difficult, if not impossible.

The children were first taken across the border into Egypt and from there boarded planes bound for Italy. They will all be treated in paediatric hospitals, including the Vatican-run Bambino Gesù in Rome, which will take care of the first reception and sorting, as well as Gaslini Hospital in Genoa, Rizzoli Hospital in Bologna, and Meyer Hospital in Florence.

Italy is the first European country to launch an international rescue operation for the victims of the war in Gaza.

The project co-ordinator Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, said that today (Wednesday) the hospital ship 'Vulcano,' currently at anchor on the Egyptian coast is setting sail with about 50 accompanied children on board. In 4-5 days the ship will moor in a central port where the children will be taken to hospitals.

Later this month an airlift will start to take more children currently hospitalized in Cairo, to several Italian hospitals. Last evening, the University of Perugia and San Marino's hospitals also indicated their availability.

"We will bring everyone we can," assured Mr Figliuolo.

The initiative that is allowing the children of Gaza to come to Italy for medical treatment is taking place with the support of the Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, Father Ibrahim Faltas.

Fr Faltas recently told L'Osservatore Romano about his pastoral work with the families living in the Strip. Asked what he could do for the injured or sick children, he said that he had "immediately activated with the Italian governmental structures and immediately received enthusiastic approval."

Thanks to the strong network of relations established over the years, Father Faltas was able to initiate "an intense mediation activity involving Israelis, Palestinians, and Egyptians."

Last evening, while awaiting the arrival of the children on the XXXI Air Force flight, Father Faltas did not hold back his emotion at what he described to Vatican Media as "a first sign of peace, peace that needs listening and humility."

The Franciscan friar expressed his gratitude to the Italian people, saying: "Italy is the first country in Europe to receive children from Gaza who otherwise could not have been treated. Italy has always been close to this cause, we asked and they accepted. When the children are truly cured, they will be able to return to their country."

The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, who was waiting at Ciampino airport, told Vatican Media: "We have worked intensively with the Israeli authorities, with the Palestinian national authorities, and with the Egyptian authorities. We concluded the negotiations on Thursday in Israel. It is a commitment we have made...Italy continues to express its solidarity with those who are certainly innocent victims."

The Palestinian Ambassador to Italy, Abeer Odeh, offered her profound thanks for the efforts, saying she was moved by the welcome given to these children victims of brutal attacks in Gaza.

"We thank the Italian government for helping our minors. We hope that many more children will be received," the Ambassador said.

( See CAFOD's emergency appeal for Israeli-Palestine crisis appeal: https://cafod.org.uk/give/donate-to-emergencies/israeli-palestinian-crisis-appeal )