Children from Gaza have been flown to Spain for “urgent medical care”, in what is expected to be the first in a series of European countries offering evacuations for treatment.

Almost 40,000 Palestinians have died in the territory since the 7 October attacks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, while Gazans cope with shortages of food, water, medicine and functioning hospitals.

To address the dire humanitarian situation, a deal between the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), the EU and the World Health Organisation hopes to fly hundreds of injured children from Gaza to cities around Europe.

In a post on X, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed 15 children from Gaza had arrived for treatment.

He said they would be offered “safe treatment” and they would receive “what every child deserves, wherever they were born: a healthy and hopeful childhood”.

“Welcome to Spain,” Mr Sanchez added.

The children were due to arrive in Madrid from Cairo with 27 of their immediate relatives and they will be treated at hospitals across Spain.

According to the PCRF, these children suffer from severe conditions “such as traumatic injuries, oncology needs and chronic cardiac conditions, requiring specialised medical intervention”.

Citing the health ministry, Spanish newspaper El Pais reports 13 of the patients have serious trauma injuries, while one is a cancer patient and another has a chronic heart disease.

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“This milestone co-operation will secure life-saving treatment for injured children in Europe,” PCRF chairwoman Vivian Khalaf said.

The WHO said the 15 children arriving in Spain would be receiving “urgent medical care”.

“These very sick children will be getting the care they need thanks to cooperation between several partners and countries,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general.

“We are immensely grateful for the support and facilitation provided by Egypt and Spain.

“We encourage other countries who have the capacity and medical facilities to welcome people who, through no fault of their own, are caught in the grips of this war.”

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The EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism said Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania and Slovakia have also offered medical evacuations, which includes treatment for patients and transportation.

Belgium, Italy and Norway are expected to follow suit as of next week, the PCRF said.

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The commissioner for crisis management at the EU, Janez Lenarcic, said medical evacuations are “more crucial than ever” while remaining hospitals in Gaza are “overwhelmed”.

“I thank Spain and the other EU member states who offered assistance for their commitment to Palestinians in need of urgent medical care,” he added.

“Israel and all the actors involved in these operations must continue honouring their commitment and facilitate the needed access for evacuations to continue.”

WHO’s director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus posted on X they are “immensely grateful” for Spain’s support and said they encourage other countries to welcome patients “caught in the grips of this war”.

The WHO said on Tuesday there is a high risk of the polio virus spreading across Gaza and beyond its borders due to the dire health and sanitation situation.

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