UN Secretary-General Calls for Immediate Evacuation of 2,500 Children from Gaza

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, called for the immediate evacuation of 2,500 children from the Gaza Strip for medical care on Thursday, February 11. He made this request following a meeting with four American doctors who have volunteered in Gaza. These American volunteer doctors, who have been treating war refugees, especially children, stated that many people in Gaza, particularly these 2,500 children, are at risk of death and 'imminent death.' Firoz Sidwa, a surgeon from California who worked in Gaza from March 25 to April 8 last year, said, 'Some of these children may be dead today, and the rest will not survive long if they are not treated immediately.' He emphasized that 'the vast majority of these children need simple care to preserve their lives or limbs.' Ayesha Khan, an emergency physician at Stanford University who worked in Gaza from late November to January 1, told the UN Secretary-General, 'Some children in Gaza are at risk of amputation, and their only chance to save their limbs and ultimately survive is to leave Gaza and receive serious medical care.' These doctors also called for the establishment of a mechanism within a ceasefire agreement allowing children and those in need to exit Gaza without restrictions for treatment. The UN Secretary-General, acknowledging this demand, urged the parties involved to reopen Gaza's crossings and prepare conditions for the evacuation of the injured and medical personnel from the enclave and their access to medical care. The World Health Organization had announced a few days before the ceasefire that over 12,000 patients in Gaza were awaiting urgent medical services. The organization also noted that since the onset of the war in Gaza following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, 5,383 patients had been evacuated from Gaza with the organization's support before the Rafah crossing was closed and received treatment in Egypt. The Palestinian Health Organization in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, claims that over 40,000 residents of Gaza have been killed during the 15 months of war; a figure that cannot be verified. Ilan Berman, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, discussed a report on the misuse of false statistics by the terrorist group Hamas as a weapon to sway global public opinion against Israel in his recent segment titled 'Information Warfare.'