Egyptian Initiative to Receive Gaza’s Newborn Children

Palestinian child Abdullah Kahil in the ambulance before being transferred to the Nasser Institute in Cairo (Egyptian Ministry of Health)

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has asked his country’s authorities to swiftly coordinate the reception of newborns from the Gaza Strip and ensure their well-being amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
On Thursday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said since Nov. 11, 40 patients at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza Strip have died including three premature babies.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health is working to transfer newborn babies from the Gaza Strip to Egypt to preserve their lives.
In this context, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, said during a meeting of the Egyptian Cabinet on Thursday that efforts were underway to transfer 35 premature babies from Gaza hospitals to Egypt.
He added that ambulances and nurseries were being prepared at the Rafah crossing in order to receive the babies, as part of Egypt’s efforts to ensure the success of its evacuation efforts...”
Abdul Ghaffar also announced the transfer of Abdullah Al-Kahil, a Palestinian child facing imminent leg amputation, through the Rafah border crossing to receive treatment at Cairo’s Nasser Institute Hospital.
In a video circulated on social media, Al-Kahil had conveyed a heartfelt plea, in which he said: “Tell the Egyptians to let me walk... Why is amputation necessary for my leg? Can’t they create a bone for me? Provide me with a prosthetic leg? Pose these questions to the Egyptians.”
Al-Kahil’s appeal resonated across social media, reaching the Egyptian president.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health stated that an equipped ambulance, accompanied by a medical team, had been allocated to transport the child to the Nasser Institute Hospital in Cairo, assess his health condition, and determine the necessary medical procedures for his urgent treatment.
Over the past few days, Egypt has received, through the Rafah border crossing, a number of wounded Palestinians. According to the Egyptian minister of Health, 70 percent of patients arriving from Gaza are children, women and the elderly.
“Egypt is fully prepared to deal with any sick cases among our Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip, and to provide the required medical services,” Abdel Ghaffar said.