Gaza War - 20 patients from Gaza should be brought to Norway
Up to 20 severely ill patients from the Gaza Strip are supposed to be brought to Norway this year with their close relatives. The Norwegian Immigration Authority UDI has reportedly received instructions from the government to issue entry permits for medical evacuations from Gaza. Primarily minors and women are to be accepted, according to a statement from the authority. In total, Norway therefore offers to accept up to 100 people.
The exact arrival date of the first evacuees to Norway is still unclear. This is because the affected individuals also need an exit permit from Gaza.
The need for medical aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip and especially for children and adolescents is enormous. The World Health Organization WHO called on several countries in April to help with medical evacuations of patients from Gaza. Several EU countries and also the non-EU country Norway have pledged their assistance.
Healthcare system collapsed on site
On a Wednesday, 16 severely ill children and teenagers from Gaza were flown to Madrid with their family members to be treated there. According to the European Commission, this was the first medical evacuation initiative by the EU for Palestinians.
According to the health authority controlled by the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, more than 39,000 people have been killed and over 90,000 injured in the coastal strip since the conflict began in October. The healthcare system on site has largely collapsed due to the war damages.
The cause of the Gaza conflict was the unprecedented massacre with over 1,200 deaths, which terrorists from Hamas and other groups committed in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel responded with massive air raids and a ground offensive. Facing the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasingly criticized internationally.
- The Norwegian government has directed the Immigration Authority UDI to issue entry permits for medical evacuations from the Gaza Strip, which is part of the Palestinian territories recognized by the EU.
- The medical evacuation initiative by the EU for Palestinians saw 16 severely ill children and teenagers from Gaza being flown to Madrid for treatment, with their family members.
- The healthcare system in the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Islamist Hamas, has largely collapsed due to the damages from the ongoing conflicts, leaving the need for medical aid, especially for children and women, enormous.
- Several EU countries, including Norway, have pledged their assistance in addressing the medical evacuation needs in the Gaza Strip, as requested by the World Health Organization WHO.
- Despite the pledged assistance, the exact arrival date of the first evacuees to Norway remains unclear due to the need for an exit permit from Gaza.
- The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, initiated by an unprecedented massacre with over 1,200 deaths committed by terrorists from Hamas and other groups in Israel, has led to increasing international criticism of Israel's response, which includes massive air raids and a ground offensive, resulting in a high number of civilian casualties.
