Thirteen children from the Gaza Strip with cancer arrived in Spain for treatment, accompanied by 23 family members.

The Palestinian Embassy in Spain said in a statement issued on Friday that they were received by Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia, along with representatives of local authorities in the Aragon region, Slovakia's Ambassador to Spain, Juraj Tomaja, Khaldoun Al-Masri, representing the Palestinian Embassy, and Ibrahim Abayat, head of the Palestinian community in Aragon.

The embassy noted that the Slovakian medical plane carrying them landed at the Spanish military's Zaragoza air base, arriving from Egypt. The children will be distributed to several Spanish hospitals for treatment until their health conditions stabilize.

She added that the children were transported by Red Cross ambulances to medical centers in Catalonia, the Basque Country, Asturias, and Navarre, where their health conditions will be monitored and they will receive specialized care.

Garcia said that Spain is proud of its solidarity with the Gaza Strip, as the bombing has destroyed the health system, preventing thousands of wounded from accessing essential medical care.

She noted that her country was the first to receive sick and wounded people from the Gaza Strip, in a gesture of service to humanity, noting that the ongoing Israeli aggression has resulted in the martyrdom of 15,600 children, an average of one child every 45 minutes.

She reiterated that Spain will continue to call for a ceasefire, the achievement of lasting peace, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

In turn, Al-Masry expressed his gratitude to Spain, represented by its government, for the humanitarian operation to evacuate children suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses.

He emphasized that this step reflects the Spanish government's commitment to multilateral cooperation to promote international humanitarian law and the principles of justice and solidarity among peoples. He also commended its rapid response to the appeals of international humanitarian organizations, most notably the World Health Organization.

The patient evacuation was coordinated by the Spanish Ministry of Health and the Spanish Ministry of Integration, Social Security, and Migration, with support from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Interior, and Defense.

It was also implemented through the Medical Evacuation Mechanism (MEDEVAC), sponsored by the World Health Organization and the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre, and in cooperation with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The Slovakian government provided a special medical plane to transport patients and their families from Cairo to Spain.