Romania carried out a new medical evacuation mission for civilians from Gaza on Monday, December 8, transporting eight Palestinian patients and 29 accompanying relatives to Bucharest for treatment, according to the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU). The patients were evacuated aboard a Romanian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft after lacking access to adequate medical care.

The mission began Monday morning, when the aircraft operated by the Ministry of National Defense departed Otopeni Airport for Israel’s Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport. Following medical assessments and the boarding of the evacuees, the plane departed Israel at around 17:30 and arrived at Bucharest’s 90th Air Transport Base shortly before 22:00 the same day.

Medical care during the flight was provided by a mixed team from the Bucharest Emergency Clinical Hospital’s UPU-SMURD unit and the Ministry of Defense, with a DSU liaison officer also on board. After landing, emergency crews from ISU Bucharest-Ilfov ensured medical assistance and onward transport for the evacuees.

“Subsequently, with the support of a Slovak aircraft, two patients and their relatives were transported to the Kingdom of Norway, while four patients and their relatives were taken to the Kingdom of Belgium. The remaining two patients will receive specialised care in medical facilities in Romania,” DSU said.

According to the same source, the mission was conducted at the request of the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre through the Civil Protection Mechanism and involved cooperation among multiple Romanian institutions, Israeli authorities, the World Health Organization, and humanitarian partners. 

This marked Romania’s eighth such support mission for Gaza civilians this year, with similar operations carried out in January, March, April, May, July, September, and October, in addition to three missions conducted in 2024.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Departamentul pentru Situaţii de Urgenţă)