Israel has asked foreign countries to send hospital ships to help treat wounded Palestinians who are allowed to leave the war-torn Gaza Strip for neighboring Egypt, the Israeli ambassador to Germany said on Thursday.
France said last week it would send the warship "Tonnere" to the eastern Mediterranean on what it described as a mission to support Gaza hospitals. This week Egypt began admitting a limited number of wounded across its border with Gaza.
In an interview with Kan radio, Israel's ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, was asked if Israel had asked France and other European countries to send hospital ships to receive the wounded from Gaza in Al-Arish, an Egyptian port near the Palestinian enclave.
The diplomat described the scenario posed in the question as correct and said that he had submitted such a request to Berlin.
"I don't know yet if this is happening," said Prosor, former director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry. "We ask for it. I suppose it is being discussed. Here in Europe there is a tendency to help in humanitarian matters in any way possible."
An official who asked not to be identified by name or nationality said the "Tonnere" has 70 hospital beds as well as two operating rooms. Israel also asked Italy to send a hospital ship, but has not yet received a response, the official added.
