Türkiye, Egypt, Israel establish joint health coordination team for Gaza patients

Türkiye, Egypt and Israel have joined forces to create a joint health coordination team aimed at facilitating the transfer of patients from Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the only route out of the region not controlled by Israel.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced the collaborative effort on Nov. 10, highlighting that Turkish and Egyptian medical personnel would work in tandem to provide treatment for patients from Gaza.

The move comes in response to the recent Israeli airstrike on a Turkish-run hospital in Palestine, which primarily catered to cancer patients, especially children.

Koca specified that the initial phase of the operation would involve transferring these patients from the Rafah gate to Egypt's El Sheikh Zayed and El Arish hospitals.

The minister also disclosed plans for a visit to the affected children with his Egyptian counterpart, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar. In the subsequent stage, patients in stable condition are set to be transported to Türkiye via air ambulances.

The coordination team, spearheaded by Turkish and Egyptian health ministers, also includes Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso.

In a related development, Koca revealed earlier in the day that the necessary permits for shipping 51 containers of medical supplies and 20 fully-equipped ambulances and generators had been obtained.

These supplies, totaling around 500 tons, departed from western İzmir city's Alsancak port and are expected to arrive at Egypt's El Arish port on Nov. 11.

The aid package comprises fully-equipped construction-type heavy climate field hospitals, inflatable field hospitals and medical drugs and consumables, the minister informed.

These facilities, designed to withstand all climatic conditions, will be deployed in Gaza or at points nearest to the Egyptian border, he said.

This initiative follows prior deliveries by Türkiye, which dispatched eight cargo planes carrying medicines, medical supplies, equipment and generators to the El Arish airport for onward delivery to Gaza.