ARISH, Egypt, April 8 (MENA) - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron visited the city of Arish as part of the high-level official visit by the French president to Egypt.

Presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy said that the visit aimed to express France's solidarity with Egypt's significant efforts in receiving and caring for Palestinians falling victims to the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

During the visit, presidents Sisi and Macron toured Arish General Hospital and met with a number of wounded Palestinians, especially women and children, he said. They also visited the Egyptian Red Crescent's logistics center, which is dedicated to collecting humanitarian aid from Egypt and other countries to be delivered to the war-devastated Gaza Strip, according to him.

The spokesperson said that Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar briefed the two presidents during their visit to the hospital about Egypt’s efforts to provide health care and necessary treatment for Palestinian casualties arriving from Gaza. He pointed out that Egypt has received around 107,000 Palestinians, who underwent necessary medical examinations, with 27,000 Palestinian children being vaccinated.

According to the minister, Egyptian hospitals have received over 8,000 Palestinian patients with various injuries, escorted by 16,000 companions. More than 5,160 surgeries have been performed, and 300 hospitals in 26 Egyptian governorates have treated Palestinian patients, with wounded Palestinians currently being treated in 176 hospitals across 24 governorates. Housing and food services have also been provided for all their companions, he said.

Regarding Egypt's emergency medical efforts, he said 150 ambulances were allocated in North Sinai to receive cases sent through the border crossing from Gaza by the Palestinian Red Crescent society, then transfer them to Egyptian hospitals with the participation of 750 paramedics and drivers.

The health minister pointed out that the total cost of the medical services provided by Egypt to the victims of Gaza war amounted to approximately $578 million and is expected to reach $1 billion, especially considering that the state also covers accommodation and hosting expenses. He noted that the in-kind aid Egypt has received from other countries accounts for less than 10% of the total costs it has incurred since the crisis began.

The minister added that the health ministry has designated 38,000 doctors and 25,000 nurses in various specialties to deal with the medical cases, along with providing necessary treatment for chronic cases among those arriving from Gaza. He emphasized that President Sisi had instructed the government, especially the health ministry, to take all necessary measures to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians from the outset of the crisis.

According to the presidential spokesman, President Sisi reiterated during the visit Egypt’s firm stance, both at the leadership and popular levels, in supporting the Palestinian people. He noted that Egypt is making diligent efforts and intense diplomatic endeavors to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to ensure the delivery of necessary humanitarian aid to the residents of the Strip, in order to protect innocent lives and safeguard the Palestinian people from the consequences of the aggression, Shennawy said. The President also thanked the French side for its support in contributing to the provision of medical care to the wounded Palestinians.

The spokesman further noted that both presidents emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire, the urgency of expediting humanitarian aid delivery, and the importance of ensuring the protection of civilians and humanitarian relief workers. They both firmly rejected any attempts aimed at displacing Palestinians from their homeland, he said.
(MENA)
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