The move highlights Egypt’s continued role in providing medical and humanitarian assistance to Gaza’s most vulnerable people, especially in the early months of the war when healthcare services in the territory collapsed.
The ERC said its teams were present at the Rafah crossing to bid farewell to the children, who had been receiving care in Egypt since late 2023 after being evacuated from Gaza in critical condition.
A total of 28 premature babies were transferred to Egypt beginning in November 2023 under directives from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, after neonatal units at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza became unusable due to long disruptions in electricity, water, and oxygen supply.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health received the infants at Rafah and transported them in mobile incubators using fully equipped ambulances to hospitals across the country, accompanied by specialized medical teams, the ERC said.
After initial treatment, the infants were placed in recovery centres linked to the Ministry of Social Solidarity, where the Egyptian Red Crescent provided coordinated care with the ministry.
This included regular provision of infant formula, clothing, and diapers, alongside routine medical check-ups, growth and nutrition monitoring, psychological support, and family reunification services.
Once their recovery was complete, the ERC facilitated the children’s departure through its humanitarian services centre at the Rafah crossing, providing safe spaces for psychological support during exit procedures and continuing efforts to restore family connections.
Volunteers also distributed gifts and “Happiness Bags” with educational and creative activities to help support emotional well-being and restore a sense of safety among the children.
The ERC said the operation was carried out in coordination with relevant Egyptian authorities, UN agencies, and the Palestinian Red Crescent as part of broader efforts to sustain humanitarian response and ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
The war has had a catastrophic impact on Gaza’s children. UNICEF said at least 21,289 children had been killed and 44,500 injured as of 3 February 2026, with more than 11,000 suffering life-changing injuries.
The agency said all 1,081,521 children in Gaza needed protection services, more than one million required psychosocial support, and over 637,000 were out of school in a territory where 97.5 percent of schools had been damaged or destroyed.
On nutrition, UNICEF said 320,000 children under five are at risk of malnutrition, including 101,000 who need treatment for wasting.
A more severe IPC projection said that through June 2026, at least 132,000 children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition, including more than 41,000 severe cases.
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