The suffering in the Gaza Strip is immense. Several European countries are offering to take in seriously ill patients.
Up to 20 seriously ill patients from the Gaza Strip are to be brought to Norway this year with their close relatives. The Norwegian immigration authority UDI says it has been commissioned by the government to issue entry permits for a medical evacuation from Gaza. The authorities said that minors and women were primarily to be admitted. In total, Norway is offering to take in up to 100 people.
According to the authorities, it is still unclear when the first evacuees will arrive in Norway. The reason for this is that those affected also need an exit permit from Gaza.
The need for medical assistance for civilians in the Gaza Strip, and especially for children and young people, is huge. In April, the World Health Organization (WHO) called on a number of countries to help with medical evacuations of patients from Gaza. Several EU countries and also the non-EU country Norway have pledged their help.
Local health care system collapsed
On Wednesday, 16 seriously ill children and teenagers from Gaza and their families were flown from Egypt to Madrid for treatment. According to the European Commission, this is the EU’s first medical evacuation operation for Palestinians.
According to the health authority in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Islamist Hamas, more than 39,000 people have been killed and more than 90,000 injured in the coastal strip since the war began in October. The local health system has largely collapsed due to the destruction caused by the war.
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre with more than 1,200 deaths that terrorists from Hamas and other groups carried out in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. In view of the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasingly being criticized internationally.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
