SEVEN Palestinian children in need of urgent medical care have arrived in Ireland after being evacuated from Gaza in a coordinated international operation.
The children were accompanied by 29 family members and landed in Dublin on Saturday evening to begin treatment and recovery.
This marks the third medical evacuation from Gaza to Ireland since the Irish government approved participation in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) humanitarian appeal last September.
The mission involved coordination between the Irish government, the WHO, the Norwegian government, the Jordanian Red Crescent, Médecins Sans Frontières and the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
The group travelled overland from Gaza to Jordan in a WHO convoy before being flown to Ireland by an Irish medical team on a plane provided by Norway.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris, said the children and their families “have been through a horrific ordeal” and would now receive the care they urgently need.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill described the effort as “a complex operation that required close collaboration across multiple government departments and our international partners.”
She said the mission represented “the very best of public service, marked by dedication, professionalism, and humanity”.
The latest arrival follows two previous groups of Gazan children who reached Ireland in December 2024 and May 2025.
Under the government’s humanitarian initiative, Ireland has committed to treating up to 39 paediatric patients from Gaza, depending on available healthcare capacity.
The children and their relatives are being accommodated in housing managed by the Irish Red Cross, which is also providing translation and caseworker support to help families access essential services.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) will conduct psychosocial assessments for both patients and carers, following initial health screenings completed before departure.
Lucy Nugent, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), said her team felt “a real privilege” to be part of Ireland’s medevac programme, according to the BBC.
“Our staff are involved with these families from the very beginning, and it is deeply meaningful that we can, in some way, help the children of Gaza,” she said.
Since January 2023, Ireland has provided more than €100 million in support for the people of Palestine.
See More: Gaza, Israel Conflict, WHO
