Turkish medical personnel are in the process of transferring 26 cancer patients from the Gaza Strip to Turkey for treatment at hospitals there, Health Minister Fakhr al-Din Koca announced on Wednesday.

Koca arrived in Egypt today and told a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Khaled Abdel Ghafar, that “26 patients, in addition to their 13 companions, will be transferred to Turkey this evening.”

In the past hours, patients have flown from the Rafah border to Sheikh Juwayd and Al-Arish hospitals in Egypt, and Koca said the second phase would begin Wednesday evening and they would be transferred to Turkish hospitals.

“For the first time, these patients are from Gaza and will be sent to another country for treatment,” the Turkish minister said.

On the other hand, he indicated that during the bilateral meeting he agreed with his Egyptian counterpart to “exchange experiences and knowledge and exchange close cooperation in all health sectors”.

He responded to a question about the possibility of negotiating with the Israeli Minister of Health (Nitzan Horowitz) regarding the transfer of patients: “We previously discussed this matter with the Israeli Ministry of Health and we coordinated with them. Technical teams from three countries (Turkey, Egypt and Israel) are in place and work is continuing in earnest.

Two days ago, a Turkish aid ship carrying hospitals and aid to the Gaza Strip arrived at Al-Arish port in Egypt, which is close to the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

A Turkish official told Agence France-Presse on Monday that Ankara had sought approval from Egyptian authorities to establish the hospitals in al-Arish, 40 kilometers from the Rafah crossing.

He explained that the Egyptian authorities “have already given us the green light and we will establish hospitals in the places they have identified for us”.

Minister Koca said during a press conference on Wednesday, referring to Egypt and Israel, “there is a tripartite coordination.”

Guja said, “The goal is to set up hospitals in Gaza, and if needed, they will also be set up in the area near the Rafah border gate. The coordination process is evaluating the matter and we are ready whenever the need arises.”