The possibility of healing but also of forgetting the violence and horrors they experienced.
For 14 Palestinian children - a number that will increase in the coming days - this represents the arrival in Italy on an Air Force flight.
They are injured and, accompanied by their families, will receive treatment in four pediatric hospitals in our country.
The initiative is part of a broader operation that will continue in the next few days, with the aim of completing the overall transfer of 100 injured Palestinian minors, with their companions, to the Bambino Gesù hospitals in Rome, Gaslini hospitals in Genoa and Meyer of Florence and Rizzoli of Bologna.
For several days a mission coordinated by the Farnesina Crisis Unit - together with personnel from our Embassy in Cairo, Defense, Intelligence, the Ministry of Health and the hospital facilities involved - has been at the Rafah crossing for preparation , in close contact with our diplomatic offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, of the evacuation measures for the wounded.
The 14 children, who arrived in Egypt three days ago through the Rafah crossing, were initially treated and stabilized by Egyptian health workers in local hospital facilities.
Subsequently, the Italian military healthcare team, Defense personnel, Foreign Ministry personnel and the Gaslini hospital in Genoa worked in close coordination to make the transfer of the first children possible.
The other minors with their accompanying family members will be transported on a subsequent flight and on the Navy ship Vulcano, which will set sail next Wednesday.
Only upon their arrival will the Italian health workers have an overview of their clinical situation.
Hospitals are equipped to deal with highly complex situations (such as trauma or injuries from explosions) as has already happened in other situations, such as the recent one of the injured children welcomed by Ukraine.
"I want to express - stated Defense Minister Guido Crosetto - my profound gratitude to the Egyptian institutions and healthcare workers for their support, which made this humanitarian mission possible. Only with international cooperation can we face such great challenges and guarantee security of the most vulnerable people. Our country - he added - will continue to help the Palestinian civilian population, innocent victims of Hamas terrorists. We are ready to welcome these Palestinian children and their families".
In Florence, in particular, the arrival of the young patients is accompanied by the position taken by the doctors who are part of the 'Healthcare for Gaza' group: "We are satisfied that the Foundation accepted our suggestion to bring the children of Gaza to receive treatment", claimed the Healthcare for Gaza in the sit to deliver the signatures to ask for the resignation of the honorary consul of Israel Marco Carrai from the presidency of the Meyer Foundation.
"Treating children is however a normal thing, it should be the Foundation's routine - add the representatives of the Healthcare for Gaza - It is instead exceptional that they cannot do it in their country, with their healthcare system, because the hospitals are bombed, and it is the reason why we are indignant. While Carrai has never uttered a single word of condemnation on this."
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