Tunisia pledges to bring more injured Palestinians for medical treatment

Twenty-nine patients from Gaza have arrived to receive vital health care in Tunisian hospitals, with another 150 set to join them

Medics transfer an injured Palestinian to hospital in Tunisia. EPA

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Another group of 150 injured Palestinians from Gaza will be flown to Tunis on Tuesday to receive essential medical care in hospitals, Tunisian President Kais Saied, after 29 arrived on Sunday.

“This is our duty and we will work to support you in every way possible,” Mr Saied told Gazan patients on a visit to the country’s Military Hospital on Monday morning.

“This is the first batch [of Palestinian patients] that have arrived in Tunisia and another one will arrive within two days … Tunisia is always open for you and we will put all of our efforts and capabilities at your service."

Mr Saied reaffirmed Tunisia’s position regarding the continuing war in the Gaza Strip and said Palestinians have the right to retrieve all of their historic land.

“Where is humanity in the free world?" Mr Saied said in a video published on the official Tunisian presidency Facebook page. "Where is the humanitarian law that they've established?”

Twenty-nine injured Palestinians from Gaza arrived in Tunis on a military plane late on Sunday night to receive crucial medical treatment in public and private hospitals.

The group was accompanied by a military and a civilian medical crew, as well as representatives of the Tunisian Red Crescent.

The flight, which took off from Egypt’s Arish airport was carrying patients including children aged one to 13 and youngsters aged 19 t0 21, alongside 21 of their guardians.

The injured, mostly suffering from severe burns and fractures, have been admitted for treatment throughout the capital Tunis, including at the country’s top Military Hospital.

The Ministry of Health together with the Tunisian Red Crescent have also set up a field hospital in Ben Arous governorate south of Tunis for more Palestinian patients the country is expected to receive.

It has been equipped with 120 beds, 30 of them for intensive care, as well as a specialised team of healthcare professionals, including surgeons who are ready to perform all necessary procedures, Ben Arous governor Ezzedine Chalbi told state news agency Tap on Sunday.

Mohamed Ben Youssef, Tunisia’s ambassador in Cairo, told local radio Mosaique on Monday that co-ordination with Egyptian authorities was under way to transfer the second group of injured Palestinians.

“We are currently co-ordinating with Egyptian authorities, which has been quite responsive, to conclude the final list of the injured [Palestinians] that will arrive in Tunisia in the upcoming few days,” Mr Ben Youssef said.

The plane carrying the injured Palestinians also had a load of essential medical equipment.