Italy to evacuate Gazan children for treatment, to join airdrops

Italy plans to evacuate ill Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip for treatment, in light of the worsening humanitarian situation there, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday.

Tajani said Rome was working on a plan to fly out some 50 people, including adults to accompany the children.

He also announced plans for Italy to join other countries who have been airdropping aid over Gaza in recent days, though he did not name a specific date for Rome to join the relief efforts.

Italy is also set to provide another €5 million ($5.7 million) to be spent on food for Gazans.

Aircraft operated by Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have been dropping aid pallets on Gaza since Sunday, when Israel began allowing more aid into the sealed-off territories after months of near-total blockade.

Germany and France also began participating in the airdrops amid warnings of imminent famine in Gaza, on Friday, though the UN and other aid organizations have criticized such measures as largely symbolic, arguing it is significantly less costly and more efficient to supply aid via land.

Since Sunday, in addition to authorizing airdrops, Israel has allowed around 200 lorries per day from UN agencies and other organizations to enter.