Romanian air force evacuates Palestinian patients from Gaza

A C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Romanian Air Force carried out a medical evacuation mission for eight Palestinian patients from the Gaza Strip, severely affected by the lack of access to proper medical treatment, along with 29 accompanying family members.

“The Ministry of National Defense aircraft took off from Otopeni Airport on Monday around 07:00, heading to Israel – Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport, where it landed around 11:30. After boarding the patients and their relatives, as well as performing medical evaluations, the plane took off from the airport in Israel around 17:30, heading to Bucharest – the 90th Air Transport Base – Otopeni, where it landed at approximately 22:00,” the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) said in a statement.

During the transport, medical assistance was provided by a team consisting of a doctor and a nurse from the Emergency Reception Unit–SMURD of the Bucharest Emergency Clinical Hospital, as well as a doctor and two medical assistants from the Ministry of National Defense, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

For the proper execution of the mission, a liaison officer from the Department for Emergency Situations was also on board the aircraft.

Additionally, after landing, the patients and their family members received medical assistance and transportation from ISU Bucharest-Ilfov crews.

“Subsequently, with the support of a Slovak aircraft, two patients and their family members were transported to the Kingdom of Norway, and four patients with their relatives to the Kingdom of Belgium. The remaining two patients will receive specialized care in medical units in Romania,” the statement added.

The mission was carried out following requests received from the European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), through CECIS, within the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

The operation was conducted in close cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the DSU, the Romanian Air Force under the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT) of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and Habitat for Humanity.

This is the eighth support mission carried out this year for the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Similar missions took place in January, March, April, May, July, September, and October.

“Through this effort, our country reaffirms its role as a reliable partner, actively involved in humanitarian assistance, the transport of critically ill patients, and the provision of specialized medical treatments,” the DSU emphasized.