JEDDAH, 26 June — A group of 16 Palestinians wounded by Israeli bullets will arrive in Jeddah today for treatment at two local hospitals, Palestinian sources said.
The 16, including two small children, represent the first batch of 50 victims of Israeli brutality. They will arrive in the coming weeks for treatment in the Kingdom.
They will be treated under a special program financed from Al-Aqsa and Intifada funds. The two funds were approved by Arab leaders last year to support the latest Palestinian uprising and finance contingency plans for the Palestinian National Authority. Saudi Arabia pledged a quarter of the $1 billion Al-Aqsa Fund with other countries promising varying amounts. The Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank administers the two funds. The money approved within the Intifada Fund is being used to support families of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli soldiers, pay for medical treatment and rehabilitation of the injured and provide urgent assistance to university students.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and thousands of others wounded in the uprising since last September.
The Palestinian sources said 10 of the wounded would arrive from Jordan andthe other six from Egypt. They will be flown into King Abdul Aziz International Airport aboard Royal Jordanian and Egypt Air flights.
The two children accompanied by their mothers need eye treatment and will be admitted to the Maghrabi Hospital while the others, all adult men, will receive treatment at the Saudi German Hospital.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd ordered ambulance planes to bring in wounded Palestinians from Amman and Al-Arish in Egypt for treatment in the Kingdom. A number of Palestinians have since been treated and returned home while others were still recuperating at various hospitals.
The IDB has so far released $385 million, including $60 million to support the PNA budget, from the two funds. Part of the money was used to finance medical equipment, training and rehabilitation programs and pay the salaries of medical personnel.
Maghrabi and Saudi German hospitals will foot the bills for treatment of the new batch of wounded Palestinians while their travel and accommodation expenses will be met from the two funds.
