EGYPT REFUSES TO LET GAZA'S WOUNDED TRAVEL, TURKISH PLANE USES TEL AVIV AIRPORT

Injured Palestinians are being taken to the hospital with two air ambulances and other ambulances. Around seven other injured Palestinians have already been airlifted to Turkey this week. This is part of a plan of Turkey to airlift a total of 200 Palestinians for treatment, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced Monday. (Photo:MEMO)

Cairo, 19 Shawwal 1435/15 August 2014 (MINA) – For the second day in a row, the Egyptian authorities have continued to prevent a number of wounded Palestinians from leaving the country via Cairo International Airport for treatment in Istanbul on the grounds that they are banned from traveling for security reasons.

Meanwhile, a Turkish military aircraft arrived on Wednesday, 13 August to the Israeli airport at Ben Gurion to transfer a number of wounded Palestinians to Ankara, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Friday.

A number of family members and friends accompanying the injured Palestinians detained in Cairo told Quds Press that, “After the Egyptian authorities allowed wounded persons through the Rafah crossing and they arrived at the airport on Tuesday, we were surprised by the decision of the airport security not to allow them to leave on the pretext that their names are on the travel ban list and they will be unable to travel for security reasons.”

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Pls48 news website cited Palestinian medical sources who said that a number of the wounded Palestinians now at the airport are completely unconscious and their condition is very critical, with death possibly coming at any moment.

The sources called on the Palestinian negotiating delegation in Cairo to urge the Egyptian authorities to allow patients to travel and not to manipulate their destinies in this way.

In the same context, Israeli sources said that a Turkish plane landed on Wednesday in Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport for the transfer of wounded Palestinians from the airport to Ankara. They had arrived earlier at the airport via Israel’s Beit Hanoun crossing.

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The Israeli public radio reportedly said that the plane would transfer about 30 wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip for treatment at Turkish hospitals.

Since 7 July, the Gaza Strip has been subjected to a massive Israeli military operation, which included thousands of air, land and sea raids, leaving about 1,950 Palestinians killed and thousands wounded, in addition to the destruction of hundreds of homes while horrific massacres were being committed. (T/E01/IR)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)