Türkiye brought in 26 patients from Gaza, devastated by the Israeli attacks, in another evacuation operation to help Palestinian civilians.
A C-130 aircraft belonging to Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry touched down in the capital, Ankara, on Monday evening with 26 patients, 32 accompanying individuals and medical personnel whose passage from Gaza to Egypt was facilitated. Deputy Health Minister Tolga Tolunay welcomed the wounded patients and their escorts. Upon arriving at the airport, the patients were transferred to the hospital via waiting ambulances.
The aircraft, carrying 1.2 tons of medications, medical supplies and nine health care personnel, took off on Monday morning. Earlier Monday, a Defense Ministry-owned A400M aircraft carrying 75 patients and 74 escorts from Gaza landed in Ankara.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, “102 more patients and injured people from Gaza are being evacuated from Egypt to our country today with 105 companions for their treatment.” He said preparations have been completed for the patients at Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, and Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital.
Israel’s air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas have killed at least 19,453 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in the enclave. The war has left Gaza in ruins, with half of the coastal territory’s housing damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.
In the meantime, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that they were continuing efforts to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to Palestinians. “We continue our efforts, together with all our institutions and organizations, to deliver the urgently needed humanitarian aid for the Palestinians,” Öncü Keçeli said on X.
In coordination with the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), approximately 2,500 tons of humanitarian aid arrived at the Port of Al-Arish in Egypt through 13 air shipments and two ships between Oct. 13 and Dec. 12, he added. “This figure is expected to increase.”
Due to collaboration between the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and the Kuwait Aid Association, a ship carrying 1,107 tons of supplies is approaching the Al-Arish port. Sharing that the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is delivering aid to Gazan workers stranded in the occupied West Bank, Keçeli said a field hospital in Gaza will be established soon. Since Nov. 16, as many as 182 patients and wounded people, along with 147 companions, have been moved from Gaza to Türkiye and admitted to hospitals, the spokesperson said.
