ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The first plane carrying Palestinian youths wounded in the Israeli-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, part of a promised nationwide relief effort for 1,000 young people.
The group, made up of 15 people, including young people and relatives, crossed the Rafah border crossing in the Gaza Strip with Egypt on Friday and then flew to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates.
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After all, the young children slept on their mother’s lap as the plane landed at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Some of the seats on the plane were removed to make room for the most seriously injured children, who had to lie on stretchers.
Some of the young men had their arms and legs bandaged. Others sat quietly next to their parents or relatives. Some traveled alone. The atmosphere inside the plane was dark and quiet. Many moms said they were exhausted.
Amr Jandieh, 12, with tears in his eyes, said he had travelled to the Emirates alone.
“My father, uncle and I communicated on the street,” Jandieh said. “My uncle killed. My father was injured. . . Suddenly, a missile fell and I lost consciousness. I woke up and ended up in the hospital.
Mohammed Abu Tabikh, 14, one of the most seriously injured children on board the plane. He suffered injuries to his neck and spine when the vehicle he was riding in collided in a collision.
“When I got injured, I felt a shock. And then I stopped moving,” he said quietly before being conscientiously removed from the plane.
Nabila Mahmoud arrived from the Gaza Strip with her 17-year-old daughter Rawan, who suffered a fractured pelvis. Mahmoud said his house was hit by a direct missile and 13 members of his family were killed.
The war, now in its seventh week, erupted with the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. The militant organization also kidnapped around 240 men, women and children.
The Israeli army’s retaliatory measures in Gaza have killed more than 11,400 Palestinians, two-thirds of whom are women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities. Another 2,700 people are missing and believed to be buried under the rubble.
The United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula that is also home to Dubai, maintains diplomatic relations with Israel following a popularity deal signed in 2020.
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