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Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins says the province will do what it can “to help meet the needs of any child, whether Palestinian or Israeli.”Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail

Ontario is promising to help children caught in the current Middle East conflict who need medical help.

Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins says the province will do what it can "to help meet the needs of any child, whether Palestinian or Israeli."

He says the government received a formal request from Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish — who dedicated his life to peace after losing three daughters in the 2009 Gaza conflict — to "make the necessary resources available" to allow Ontario hospitals to support children needing medical attention.

The minister says Ontario will work with its hospitals and the federal government to provide help, but didn't specify what help would be offered.

Abuelaish has reportedly asked to bring 100 wounded Gaza children to Canada for treatment before September.

Hoskins, who helped found War Child Canada, says he's treated patients in conflict zones and understands the devastating impact it can have on children.

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