Amman/Gaza - Saba:
Jordan began today, Tuesday, the process of evacuating 2,000 children from Gaza for treatment in the Kingdom, which Jordanian King Abdullah II pledged to do in Washington last month.
Two Jordanian military helicopters carrying two children from Gaza with amputated limbs and their family companions landed shortly before noon on Tuesday at Marka Military Airport in Amman, followed by two other helicopters carrying two injured children in the afternoon, according to scenes broadcast by the official “Al-Mamlaka” TV.
The children were transferred directly from the helicopters to ambulances to be transported to hospitals for treatment.
Minister of Information and Communications Mohammad Al-Momani said during a press conference, “A short while ago, the first batch of Gazan children suffering from various diseases began entering, in implementation of the initiative that the King spoke about in Washington.”
He added, “This first batch of Gazan children arrived by helicopter to Marka Military Airport, and another group will arrive by land within a short period, God willing.”
45 children from Gaza are scheduled to arrive in the Kingdom on Tuesday, some by air via helicopters, and others by ambulance via the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge.
The Jordanian monarch told the US president on February 11 that his country is ready to receive 2,000 sick children from Gaza, especially those with cancer and those suffering from difficult medical conditions, for treatment in the Kingdom.
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