Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced on Thursday, February 19, 2026, that Romania stands ready to evacuate up to 1,000 sick children from Gaza for specialized medical treatment in Romanian hospitals and to contribute significantly to rebuilding essential civilian institutions in the war-torn territory.
Speaking at the first official meeting of the Board of Peace—the $10 billion private peace initiative launched by U.S. President Donald Trump—in Washington, D.C., President Dan opened his remarks by thanking Trump for convening the gathering and for his “leadership in bringing a halt to the heartbreaking conflict in Gaza.” He described the Board of Peace as “a peace plan that has been comprehensive and stable,” praising Trump’s “efforts and results in other parts of the world.”
“I think everyone desires peace, stability and prosperity in Gaza,” Dan stated. “The question is how to act.”
On the humanitarian front, the Romanian leader outlined concrete commitments:
Romania is prepared to increase the number of medical evacuation flights to bring sick and injured children from Gaza to Romanian hospitals, building on previous similar operations conducted by Bucharest. He indicated that the country could scale support to include up to 4,000 family members accompanying the children.
Romania possesses strong expertise in emergency response systems, including advanced ambulance services, fire and rescue operations, and disaster management. Dan offered to assist in rebuilding Gaza’s emergency infrastructure, providing equipment, training, and technical support to restore functioning ambulance and civil defense capabilities.
Dan also highlighted Romania’s educational support, noting that the country is “already offering some scholarships for Palestinian students” and stands ready to expand the program while helping “to rebuild and refurbish the schools in Gaza.”
Emphasizing institutional rebuilding as “the most important contribution,” the president pointed to Romania’s prior experience in post-conflict reconstruction in various regions. He said Romania is prepared to deploy experts and trainers to assist in restoring core state functions in Gaza, including:
Police and law enforcement structures
The justice system
Public administration and civil service
President Dan underscored Romania’s balanced historical relations, stating that the country has “traditionally good relations with the Jewish people and with the Palestinian people,” which he believes positions Bucharest to play a constructive role in advancing peace efforts.
He concluded by affirming: “Romania can be counted on.”
The announcement comes as the Board of Peace holds its inaugural meeting, following President Trump’s February 19 pledge of $10 billion in personal funds to create an independent, non-governmental entity focused on conflict prevention, mediation, rapid-response stabilization, and humanitarian support in high-risk regions. The Board is designed to operate outside traditional UN frameworks while complementing multilateral efforts.
Romania’s offer aligns with the Board’s stated priorities of humanitarian action, institutional capacity-building, and child protection in conflict zones. Bucharest’s participation as a founding member was confirmed earlier this week through a unanimous parliamentary vote, reflecting strong bipartisan support.
The proposal to evacuate 1,000 children builds on Romania’s previous humanitarian missions, including the airlift of wounded children from conflict zones in Ukraine and other regions since 2022. Romanian hospitals, particularly pediatric and burn units in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, have established protocols for treating war-injured minors.
President Dan’s remarks also reflect Romania’s broader foreign-policy stance of active engagement in Middle East stabilization while maintaining strong transatlantic alignment with the United States. Bucharest has consistently supported a two-state solution and condemned violence against civilians on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Board of Peace meeting gathered representatives from several founding nations, including Albania, Romania, and others, as well as international figures invited to serve on its 15-member governing panel. While full operational details—such as headquarters location, initial project sites, and exact governance structure—remain under discussion, Romania’s offer is among the most specific and substantial commitments announced at the inaugural session.
As the Gaza conflict enters its 17th month, humanitarian conditions in the territory remain dire, with the United Nations and aid organizations repeatedly warning of acute shortages of medical care, especially for children suffering from war-related injuries, malnutrition, and untreated chronic conditions.
President Dan’s proposal now awaits coordination with relevant international partners, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and humanitarian corridors facilitators, to determine feasibility and logistics.
Romania’s readiness to act underscores a growing trend of smaller and medium-sized European states stepping forward with targeted humanitarian and reconstruction pledges amid the protracted crisis in Gaza.
