Photos: Dozens of premature babies evacuated from Gaza to Egypt | Israel-Palestine conflict news

A group of 28 premature babies from Gaza were evacuated from a hospital inside the besieged Palestinian enclave to Egypt for treatment, according to Egyptian television footage and a Palestinian hospital doctor.

“The babies arrived to me from al-Shifa Hospital. They were in a terrible condition when they arrived here,” said Dr. Mohammad Salama, head of the neonatal unit at Al-Helal Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital in Rafah in southern Gaza.

Medical workers on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing were seen on Monday carefully lifting babies from inside ambulances and placing them in mobile litters, which were then wheeled across a park cars towards other ambulances.

The babies, from a total of 31 who were transferred on Sunday from the besieged al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to the Rafah maternity hospital as a first step towards evacuation, were wearing only nappies and small green hats .

“The 28 babies have now arrived safely in Egypt. Three babies are still at the Emirati Hospital and continue to receive treatment,” a World Health Organization spokesperson said in an emailed response to the Reuters news agency.

When asked about the condition of the babies, he said: “All babies are fighting serious diseases and continue to need health care. “