Premature babies evacuated from Gaza arrive in Egypt – as World Health Organisation warns they have ‘serious infections’

A first group of prematurely-born babies have arrived in Egypt for treatment after they were evacuated from Gaza’s biggest hospital.

The 28 infants were transported from the Emirati hospital in southern Gaza, having been evacuated from the besieged al Shifa hospital, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent and Egyptian media.

Footage on Egyptian TV showed medics lifting tiny infants from inside an ambulance and placing them in mobile incubators, which were then wheeled towards other ambulances.

Israel-Gaza latest: Tanks ‘200 metres from hospital’

Health officials initially said a total of 31 premature babies had been safely moved to the facility, but it is unclear what has happened to three of the infants.

The babies, who the World Health Organisation said have “serious infections”, will now be treated in Egyptian hospitals.

Four other babies died in the two days before the evacuation on Sunday, according to Mohamed Zaqout, the director of Gaza hospitals, amid a collapse in medical services partly caused by power cuts when fuel ran out.