Italy leads on Gaza medical evacuations as US freezes humanitarian pathways

Rome: Italy has treated more Gazan patients, most notably children, than any other European country, while the US has suspended all visitor visas for Gazans, including those seeking medical care

On Aug. 12–13, three Italian Air Force C-130 aircraft landed in Rome, Milan, and Pisa with 31 children and more than 90 accompanying relatives on board. According to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this was the country’s largest medical evacuation of Palestinian minors to date, bringing Italy’s totals since 2024 to 181 children and 396 companions, with 917 Gazans admitted overall when family reunifications are included.

This was not just an airlift but a demonstration of our commitment. Italy has consistently opened its hospitals, even when larger European economies have taken far fewer patients.

“This was not just an airlift but a demonstration of our commitment,” the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The Media Line. “Italy has consistently opened its hospitals, even when larger European economies have taken far fewer patients. France, for example, has received only a dozen children, while Italy has already treated more than 180,” they added.

The operation was coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister together with the Foreign and Defense Ministries, Civil Protection, and in collaboration with the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, UN World Food Program and the Red Cross.

For Dr. Simone Pancani, pediatric surgeon at Florence’s Meyer Children’s Hospital and coordinator of its humanitarian task force, the latest mission reflected both urgency and fragility.

The medical reports we receive are incomplete, sometimes outdated. Often we meet the patient for the first time when the ambulance arrives under the aircraft.

“Among those evacuated was a 12-year-old girl with severe fractures from a mine explosion, traveling only with her brother, and a 4-year-old boy with an autoimmune blood disease,” Pancani said to The Media Line. “The medical reports we receive are incomplete, sometimes outdated. Often, we meet the patient for the first time when the ambulance arrives under the aircraft,” he added.

He described dehydration and lack of access to clean water as compounding factors.

“Some of the children showed frank signs of malnutrition and dehydration. In Eilat, where we boarded them onto the aircraft, the temperature was 47 degrees in the middle of a sandstorm. They are transported from Gaza across 200 kilometers of desert in Israeli ambulances, often with minimal water along the way,” Pancani explained.

One case highlighted the risks: A young woman, later identified as Marah Abu Zuhri, died at Pisa’s hospital less than 48 hours after arrival. She had been suffering from complex pathologies, suspected leukemia, and severe malnutrition.

Once in Italy, the challenges continue.

Even once healed, these patients cannot return to Gaza. They are in a state of stalemate.

“Even once healed, these patients cannot return to Gaza. They are in a state of stalemate. Families with multiple children now live in Italian towns, where we must arrange accommodation, schools, medical assistance, and cultural mediation,” Pancani added.

The strain extends beyond Gaza cases.

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“We still have Ukrainian patients who arrived in 2022, after the war in Ukraine began. If new groups continue to arrive from Gaza, there is a real risk of overloading our hospitals and social structures,” he noted.

Beyond physical conditions, the psychological dimension weighs heavily.

We are dealing with psychophysical trauma. Children often say little, but companions—mothers, sisters, aunts—speak about loss and fear.

“We are dealing with psychophysical trauma. Children often say little, but companions—mothers, sisters, aunts—speak about loss and fear. Rebuilding childhood will take time. Cultural mediators are fundamental; without them, it would be impossible to communicate, reassure, or gain consent for treatment,” he noted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained Italy’s motivation during the interview.

“We have hospital beds and evacuation flights. The Food for Gaza initiative is managed together with FAO, the World Food Programme, and the Red Cross to ensure it is not presented as a bilateral initiative but as part of a wider multilateral humanitarian program,” they stated.

They also noted that Italy has taken in far more patients than other EU countries.

“No other EU state has undertaken this level of effort. France, for instance, has evacuated only a small number of patients. Italy has clearly assumed the greater humanitarian role,” they pointed out.

Malnutrition, chronic illnesses, and war-related injuries combine into a catastrophic situation

They linked this to a broader crisis in Gaza: “We are facing a humanitarian emergency in which access to medical care is one of the most urgent needs. Malnutrition, chronic illnesses, and war-related injuries combine into a catastrophic situation. Italy’s decision has been to prioritize humanitarian principles over political hesitation,” they said.

On European divisions, they acknowledged limitations. “There is no common European position on sanctioning Israel or on creating binding measures to end the conflict, unlike in other crises such as piracy in the Red Sea or sanctions on Russia. Italy supports humanitarian measures, but at the European level, there remains a lack of consensus on political action,” they added.

They also explained Italy’s caution on Palestinian state recognition. “Italy’s view is that recognition should be tied to clearly defined borders and stable governing authority. At present, there is fragmentation: the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority, Gaza under Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization in Europe. Without unity, recognition would not resolve the problem,” they noted.

Still, they pointed to positive precedents: “There have been successful cases of common European security policy, from the fight against piracy off Somalia to coordination in the Red Sea. These show that a unified EU approach is possible, though not yet achieved in this conflict,” they said.

In stark contrast, the United States has suspended all visitor visas for Gazans, including those requiring urgent medical care. The State Department cited unspecified security concerns but has not released evidence.