B-FAST evacuates young patients from Gaza to Belgian hospitals
Belgium’s rapid intervention service B-FAST has conducted a second evacuation of young patients from Gaza. They and their guardians were transferred to Belgium to receive the necessary treatment, the FPS Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday.
Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are no longer operational due to the ongoing war with Israel. There is a severe shortage of resources and equipment, medical facilities have been destroyed and aid workers and medical personnel are not protected and cannot work.
The local population no longer have access to healthcare and operations cannot take place. “All this is in violation of international humanitarian law,” said a spokesperson for the FPS Foreign Affairs.
Essential goods
Through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, Belgium has now carried out a second evacuation of young patients. A similar operation took place in July as part of a broader set of B-FAST operations, including donations of essential goods.
The patients were transferred to Belgium and are being treated in local hospitals. Transport was provided by Romania, under the coordination of the EU. The National Crisis Centre, asylum agency Fedasil and the Immigration Department were also involved.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign ministry has dismissed as “fabricated” and “antisemitic slander” a report by Amnesty International accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
300-page report
“The deplorable and fanatical organisation Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report, entirely false and based on lies,” said a Foreign ministry spokesperson.
Amnesty published a 300-page report on Thursday accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, calling on the international community not to be “complicit”.
The 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas killed 1,208 people in Israel, according to an AFP count based on official data, including hostages who died in captivity.
Since the start of the Israeli reprisals, 44,532 people have been killed in Gaza, according to data from the Hamas Health ministry for Gaza, deemed reliable by the UN.
The evacuation plane lands in Belgium © PHOTO BELGIUM MFA / X
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