Italy organises another humanitarian air bridge between Gaza and Rome, bringing the number of Palestinian children to receive medical care in Italian hospitals to 180.
Three special Italian air force flights carrying 31 seriously ill and injured Palestinian children from war-torn Gaza arrived overnight in Italy where they will receive medical treatment.
The humanitarian mission, which also saw the evacuation of 83 relatives of the sick children, was organised by the Italian government in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and EU authorities.
This is the 14th medical evacuation conducted by Italy since January 2024 and the largest operation of its kind to date, according to the foreign ministry, which stated that the young patients all suffer from serious congenital diseases or significant wounds and amputations.
Six children and their family members landed on Wednesday night at Rome’s Ciampino airport where they were met by deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani, and Salameh Ashour, Imam of the Palestinian community in Lazio.
“It is with deep emotion that I welcome this evening another group of Palestinian children evacuated from the Strip who will be treated in our country” – Tajani told reporters – “We will continue to support the civilian population of Gaza and work towards peace.”
Si è conclusa stanotte la più grande operazione di evacuazione sanitaria realizzata da gennaio 2024 con l’atterraggio a Ciampino, Milano e Pisa di tre velivoli della #Difesa con a bordo 31 bambini e 83 accompagnatori provenienti dalla Striscia di Gaza. I pazienti, insieme ai loro… pic.twitter.com/1lpF5ep4M9— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) August 14, 2025
Ambulances were waiting at Ciampino to transfer the children to hospitals, with three going to Bambino Gesù in Rome, two to Santobono in Naples and one to Perugia’s Azienda Ospedaliera.
Two other Italian air force planes carrying sick children from Gaza departed from Eilat airport in southern Israel, landing in Milan and Pisa late on Wednesday.
These children will receive medical treatment at various hospitals in the regions of Liguria, Lombardia, Tuscany, Umbria and Veneto.
The initiative extends Italy’s humanitarian activities for civilians in the Gaza Strip, as part of the ‘Food for Gaza’ project, to include medical and healthcare assistance.
This latest medical evacuation will bring to 180 the number of children from Gaza and their families (580 people in total) welcomed in Italy as part of the country’s humanitarian operations.
In a statement, the foreign ministry said Italy is “the fourth country in the world—and the first in Europe—to have organised air evacuations and the transfer of patients from the Strip to specialised hospitals.”
Photo Ministero della Difesta
