Khaberni - On Thursday, the Netherlands announced its intention to treat a "very limited" number of injured children from Gaza in its hospitals, thereby changing its stance on the matter to align with several other European countries that have taken similar measures.
The Dutch government revealed in a letter co-authored by Foreign Minister David Van Veld that it is exploring ways to temporarily provide care for some children in the Netherlands.
The letter stated, "These are children in need of highly specialized complex care who are facing a near-imminent risk of death and currently have no immediate assistance available" in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip.
According to the European Commission, about ten countries from the bloc have offered to take care of Palestinian patients in difficult situations or transfer them.
In the past, the Netherlands had hesitated to make such a decision, considering it more practical to treat patients in areas close to the sector which has been experiencing a devastating Israeli attack for nearly two years following the attacks of October 7.
However, the Dutch government acknowledged a "shortage" that makes medical services in the region insufficient.
The start date for the implementation of the Dutch decision has not been announced, but the Foreign Minister said it will become effective "in the coming days or weeks."
Last month, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, reported that "an average of one child has been killed every hour for about two years in Gaza."
