GENEVA

Switzerland has completed a second humanitarian evacuation of injured children from the Gaza Strip, bringing 13 children and 51 accompanying family members to the country on Friday, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said.

The group had previously been transferred from Gaza to Jordan, where the children received medical stabilization before onward travel. They were flown from Amman to Switzerland on Thursday afternoon in a MEDEVAC aircraft under an agreement with Norwegian authorities.

The plane, accompanied by the Federal Air Transport Service, landed at Zurich and Geneva airports, the SEM said.

According to the secretariat, all evacuees completed "comprehensive security checks" by Swiss and Israeli authorities prior to entry. The children require treatment "that can no longer be provided in Gaza" and will be hosted across eight Swiss cantons, including Basel-City, Freiburg, Geneva, Graubunden, Jura, Ticino, Vaud and Wallis, where university and cantonal hospitals will provide care.

The families, the statement said, will also undergo asylum procedures in Switzerland.

Allocation among cantons is based on medical needs, and any medical costs not covered by health insurance will be paid by the host cantons or hospitals, it added.

This second operation followed a first evacuation on Oct. 24. In total, 20 injured children and 78 family members have now been brought to Switzerland under the humanitarian initiative approved in August.

WHO and Doctors Without Borders, supported by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, facilitated the transfer from Gaza to Jordan and temporary accommodation there, the statement said.

SEM said the humanitarian operation is now complete.