[WATCH] Malta extends invitation to welcome more children from Gaza for medical treatment

Malta will be accepting more children from Gaza to receive medical treatment in the country, similar to what Selah did this week, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Sunday.

"Tell me, how can we remain silent in the face of this massacre, claiming so many innocent lives in Gaza?" Abela asked party supporters.

Selah, a survivor of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza arrived in Malta for medical care on Tuesday. 

The young girl, Selah, lost her mother and brother during the airstrike, which also left her with severe injuries.

The journey to Malta was made possible through the generosity of donors and the collaborative efforts of the Palestinian Embassy in Malta and the Maltese government.

Speaking at a rally in Siġġiewi, Abela confirmed that Malta has extended its invitation to treat additional Palestinian children in the country.

He explained that Selah not only lost her mother and brother in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza but also underwent an operation in a makeshift field hospital.

However, the operation failed, leading to the three-year-olds' transfer to Mater Dei Hospital.

Abela clarified that in response to this ongoing crisis, Malta will continue to send humanitarian aid, just as it has been providing assistance to Ukraine.

"I know you stand with us in this time of need… Malta will be at the forefront of assistance," Abela declared, "because that is the Malta I believe in."

Speaking on Saturday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola joined several Maltese politicians who were pleased to see Saleh welcomed in Malta.

Metsola said Malta should be taking in more refugees from Gaza, as she fielded questions on her stance in supporting Israel’s right to self-defence during her visit to the country following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas.

When addressing Labour supporters in Siġġiewi, Abela also spoke about the five migrants who died on Friday morning as the boat they were on capsized three miles off the coast of Żonqor.

Abela expressed his condolences but also thanked the Armed Forces of Malta for their work, particularly in the rescue operation that saved the remaining 29 migrant passengers.

The AFM Deputy Commander told the media that the migrant boat carrying 34 migrants capsized shortly after a rescue operation had started

“We have been speaking on immigration for years,” Abela stated, before going into what he believes is pure desperation in those seeking a better life.

“It must be desperation... to believe that these people (human traffickers) should provide you with a better life if you set sail on a boat, taking you miles away from your home,” Abela sympathised.

While addressing the sorrow and sacrifice migrants endure in pursuit of a better life, Abela failed to acknowledge the migrants, including Kusi Dismark, a Ħamrun barber, who were deported on Friday, just moments before the sea accident.

Kusi Dismark, was detained, after 13 years living in Malta, and was deported on Friday.

Sources had told MaltaToday that after Dismark was detained by immigration officers on 21 January, his deportation was “inevitable”.

The migrant community, assisted by NGOs including ADITUS and Moviment Graffitti, will be organising a protest against Dismark’s deportation later today.