UN calls for immediate evacuation of 2,500 children in Gaza

UNITED NATIONS

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the immediate evacuation of 2,500 children from Gaza for medical treatment after meeting with U.S. doctors who said the children were at imminent risk of dying in the coming weeks.

The four doctors had all volunteered in Gaza during the 15-month-long war.

Among those patients urgently needing treatment are 2,500 children, said Feroze Sidhwa, a California trauma surgeon who worked in Gaza from March 25 to April 8 last year.

"Some are dying right now. Some will die tomorrow. Some will die the next day," Sidhwa told reporters after meeting with Guterres.

Guterres said he was "deeply moved" by his meeting with the American doctors on Jan. 30.

"2,500 children must be immediately evacuated with the guarantee that they will be able to return to their families and communities," Guterres posted on X after the meeting.

[HH] EU resumes Rafah border crossing mission

Amid the call by the U.N. chief, expectations have mounted on the reopening of the Rafah border crossings. Both Israeli and Egyptian authorities announced the crossing will resume soon, without giving a specific date.

The European Union on Jan. 31 resumed its Rafah crossing mission connecting the southern Gaza Strip to Egypt, including for Palestinians needing medical care.

“Europe is here to help: The EU’s civilian border mission deploys today to the Rafah Crossing at the request of the Palestinians and the Israelis,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on X.

According to Kallas, the mission “will support Palestinian border personnel and allow the transfer of individuals out of Gaza, including those who need medical care.”

The Rafah crossing, a vital route for humanitarian aid into Gaza, has been closed since May 2024 after Israel’s ground offensive in the southern city of Rafah.

According to the Israeli media, Rafah is set to be opened on Jan. 31 for the exit of 50 wounded Palestinians who have received security clearance from the Israeli intelligence.

Among those who will leave Gaza through the Rafah Crossing for medical treatment abroad are members of Hamas’ military wing, KAN reported. The wounded will also reportedly be permitted to return safely to Gaza upon recovery.