Turkey is evacuating wounded Gazans to hospitals in Ankara, in cooperation with Israel and Egypt.
The first four patients, three women and a boy, arrived at Ankara airport Monday morning.
A Turkish air ambulance departed for Israel late Sunday night to pick up the four patients, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
President-elect, Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement following his electoral victory acknowledgment.
Permission to use Israeli and Egyptian air space for the venture was requested last week by Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, according to numerous international media.
Ultimately, “in the first stage we plan to bring to Turkey, and treat, maybe 200 patients,” Davutoglu said Monday morning while greeting the first batch of wounded at Ankara airport, according to the International Business Times.
However, Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev categorically denied any knowledge of the operation or Israel having given permission for use of its air space. “I’ve heard nothing about it,” he told TheJewishPress.com.