Babies evacuated from Gaza two years ago returned to their overjoyed parents

On Monday, 11 toddlers who were born prematurely and evacuated from Gaza two years ago were joyfully reunited with their families. These children had never met their parents or experienced life in Gaza, as they were taken to Egypt when Israeli forces approached their neonatal care unit. This reunion was part of a U.N.-arranged mission that brought tears of happiness and marked the end of a painful chapter in the ongoing conflict. The infants were among 29 premature babies evacuated from the neonatal intensive care unit at Al Shifa hospital in Gaza in November 2023, following an Israeli raid prompted by claims that Hamas was using the hospital for military purposes. During the evacuation, the parents could not accompany their children due to the fighting and the closed border to Egypt. Only medical staff were allowed to escort the babies. “I couldn’t touch her, I couldn’t hold my daughter for two and a half years,” said Sundus Al-Kurd, one of the mothers, as she embraced her daughter Bissan during their reunion. “Today feels like a new birthday, like a fresh start, and I will make up for everything my daughter missed, God willing,” she expressed. Bissan, like many others, was transported from Gaza to Egypt in an incubator, a journey that doctors indicated was life-threatening. Sadly, seven of the 29 evacuated infants passed away while in Egypt. Besides the 11 who returned to Gaza, the other children are currently with family outside of Palestinian territory, according to the doctors.