Italy has welcomed 15 Palestinian children from Gaza in need of urgent medical treatment, marking the 15th such operation since the onset of the conflict.
Newsroom (30/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a continued display of humanitarian commitment, Italy has welcomed 15 Palestinian children from Gaza in need of urgent medical treatment, marking the 15th such operation since the onset of the conflict. The children, accompanied by family members and caregivers, arrived at four Italian airports—Ciampino, Lecce Galatina, Pisa, and Verona—last night, bringing the total number of young patients evacuated from Gaza to Italian hospitals to 196.
As the war’s toll on Gaza’s youngest residents mounts, with thousands of children killed, injured or displaced, global faith leaders have decried the devastating impact on the innocent. Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who recently visited the enclave, described witnessing “children not batting an eyelid” at the sound of bombings, their faces etched with trauma amid starvation and destruction. He condemned the blockade on aid as a “sentence” for starving families, underscoring the moral outrage of the crisis. Echoing these sentiments, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly highlighted the “agonizing price” paid by Gaza’s children, elderly and sick, renewing urgent calls for an immediate ceasefire during a recent phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A Coordinated Humanitarian Effort
The operation involved three C-130 aircraft provided by Italy’s Ministry of Defense, transporting a total of 81 individuals, including the 15 children. From the airports, the young patients were swiftly transferred to 12 hospitals across seven Italian regions. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani personally greeted seven of the children at Ciampino Airport shortly before 11 p.m., who had departed from Eilat, Israel. Among them was Tuleen, an infant with a severe congenital malformation, who will receive specialized care at the Meyer Hospital in Florence.
The Italian Foreign Ministry, responding to urgent appeals, prioritized cases requiring life-saving interventions. The children, many suffering from serious congenital conditions or severe injuries, including amputations, were carefully assigned to hospitals equipped to provide tailored medical treatment.
Medical Facilities Mobilized Nationwide
The latest group of patients will receive care in some of Italy’s leading hospitals, including:
- Campania: Santobono Hospital, Naples
- Emilia-Romagna: S. Orsola Hospital, Bologna
- Friuli Venezia Giulia: Cattinara Hospital, Trieste
- Lazio: San Camillo, Gemelli, Bambino Gesù, and Policlinico Umberto I, Rome
- Lombardia: Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo; Niguarda Hospital, Milan; Spedali Civili, Brescia
- Tuscany: Meyer Hospital, Florence
- Puglia: Veris Delli Ponti Hospital, Lecce
To date, over 20 healthcare facilities across Italy have participated in these humanitarian missions, ensuring that each child is placed in a hospital best suited to their medical needs.
A Growing Commitment
Since the war in Gaza began, Italy has provided medical care to 196 children and over 650 accompanying family members. The operations reflect a meticulous effort to prioritize the most vulnerable, particularly those with life-threatening conditions. Each transfer is carefully planned to ensure access to specialized treatment, underscoring Italy’s role in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
As the conflict continues, Italy’s hospitals and government remain steadfast in their mission to offer hope and healing to those in desperate need.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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