Turkish officials said 68 patients from the besieged Palestinian enclave Gaza arrived in the country on Tuesday for treatment.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca welcomed the patients and their carers, who were transported from Egypt’s El Arish International Airport, near Gaza, to Etimesgut Military Airport in the capital of Ankara. He told reporters that the group includes 37 infants and children, and 31 adults, including four with cancer. “We had 114 patients transferred so far, and with the new group of 68, now we’ve brought 182 patients. A total of 359 people were brought along with their companions,” he said. “To date we’ve lost two patients. Currently, six of our patients are in intensive care. The condition of two of our patients in intensive care is serious and they are intubated.” Preparations for field hospitals in Gaza have begun, and a suitable location near the Rafah Border Crossing has been identified, he added.
The next transfer is expected early next week, he said, stressing the growing need for cross-border health care collaboration amid challenges in Gaza. He also gave reassurances that the tripartite coordination team, including Türkiye, Israel and Egypt is diligently working on the transfer preparations.
Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a complete siege and mounted a ground offensive since the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. At least 18,412 Palestinians have been killed, 70% of them women and children, and 50,100 others injured by the Israeli onslaught since then, according to Gaza’s health authorities. The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stands at 1,200, according to official figures.
Since the flare-up of the conflict in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, Türkiye has also evacuated a total of 1,047 people to safety, an official announced on Wednesday.
The evacuees, including Turkish citizens, their family members and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) citizens, were greeted by Turkish diplomats on the Egyptian side of the border crossing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Wednesday on X. They first arrived in the capital Cairo by car before heading to Istanbul by plane, he said. “The list of our citizens who are currently waiting for evacuation is constantly updated, and coordination is carried out with the relevant authorities,” he added. “We aim to conclude the evacuation of all our citizens from Gaza safely and as soon as possible,” Keçeli added.
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