Fourteen Palestinian children, many battling cancer, arrived in Italy for urgent medical treatment on Thursday, marking the latest group to be brought from Gaza as part of ongoing humanitarian efforts following the Israeli attacks on the enclave.
Along with their families, a total of 45 individuals crossed the Rafah border into Egypt on Wednesday before undergoing medical checks at the Italian hospital in Cairo.
The children were flown to Italy aboard an Italian military plane, where they were greeted by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at Rome’s Ciampino airport.
Tajani emphasized that the children’s arrival was a testament to Italy’s diplomatic approach rooted in solidarity, offering hope to the most vulnerable.
The children will be treated in various Italian hospitals, with some staying in Rome, while others head to Turin and Milan.
Two children will receive care at the Vatican's Bambino Gesu hospital, which previously treated nine Palestinian children in 2023.
All nine were discharged, according to hospital officials.
Italy’s efforts are part of a broader European initiative to care for children suffering from war-related injuries and diseases in Gaza since the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023.
Defense Secretary Guido Crosetto noted that every child brought to Italy symbolizes hope and a commitment to the future.
The first group of Palestinian children arrived in January, and dozens more have followed in the months since, with some transported on Italy's naval ship Vulcano.
