Japan to Treat 2 Palestinian Women Wounded in Gaza

Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government has decided to accept two Palestinian women who were injured in the Gaza Strip for medical treatment, in response to the serious humanitarian situation there and at the request of the World Health Organization, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

This is the first time that Japan has accepted a casualty from Gaza since the start of the fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023.

According to ministry sources, the two had been receiving treatment in Egypt since being injured in Gaza. One began treatment at the Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on Wednesday. The other is expected to arrive in Japan shortly.

Their transportation and living costs will be shouldered by the Japanese government. The two are set to return home after they recover.

The Japanese government has decided to accept the women from a medical perspective, also taking into account their wishes, a ministry official said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]