EXCLUSIVE – Sixteen Palestinian children, 10 of whom are cancer patients, were evacuated from Gaza on Wednesday as part of an ongoing Jordanian initiative to help civilians amid the war, Fox News has learned.
The humanitarian effort is part of a larger initiative called the "Jordan Medical Corridor" that was developed by King Abdullah II and announced during a White House meeting between the Jordanian leader and President Donald Trump in mid-February.
"Jordan is keen to bring more child patients from Gaza in each evacuation batch and to expedite the process," a Jordanian source told Fox News. "There are limitations due to technical and logistical challenges facing the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as Israeli restrictions."
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Despite the limitations, a total of 64 Palestinians were able to leave Gaza on Wednesday for Jordan. The youngest is a 5-month-old baby suffering from severe malnutrition. Other patients include a 6-year-old with explosive injury burns and a 2-year-old with blood cancer.
Four of the patients were taken by helicopter from the Israel-Jordan border. In Amman, the entire group of children, with the exception of two who will be flown to nearby countries, will receive free medical treatment and housing until the completion of their care.
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The current Jordanian mandate aims to evacuate 2,000 children from the Palestinian enclave, while continuing internal efforts to provide field hospital treatment and aid to those still trapped in Gaza.
"The ongoing Israeli operations make it hard to ensure the safety of the child patients and their families during their transportation to the assembly point and inside the assembly point," a Jordanian source added.
An Israeli official confirmed the evacuation took place at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, adding that there is cooperation between Israel and Jordan despite the security challenges.
Earlier in the war, Jordan used C-130 aircraft to drop food into Gaza using pallets attached to large parachutes. Some of these drops were done in coordination with U.S. Central Command.
More than 600 days into the war, regional conversations continue to take place aiming for a ceasefire that would end the suffering of Palestinian civilians and bring the remaining 55 hostages held by Hamas home.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II has spoken out against discussions of forced displacement for Palestinians living in Gaza.
