Palestinians in Gaza are desperate to travel abroad for life-saving treatment. Israel-Palestine conflict news

Khan Younis and Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestine – In a small apartment in Khan Yunus, surrounded by a war-torn landscape as far as the eye can see, Abeer al-Awadi is counting down the minutes until the long-awaited ceasefire.

His daughter Hana’s life depends on it.

Whenever Abir lifts the blanket covering her face, the 15-year-old girl starts crying loudly. Even the slightest glimpse of light causes excruciating pain in the teenager’s sensitive, swollen eyes, leaving Abir with no option but to heed his daughter’s anguished plea to cover her eyes again. Is saved.

Beneath the blanket is a face marked by the relentless ravages of cancer. There is a red substance coming out of his left eye, his head appears shrunken, and his weak arms barely move. Her weak voice and constant crying convey the pain she has endured since her diagnosis three months ago.

Abeer prays that the Rafah crossing, which Gaza shares with Egypt and has been closed by Israel since its ground operation in the enclave’s southernmost area in May, opens as soon as the ceasefire comes into force on Sunday morning. “I don’t know how long Hannah will live,” he said.

For the thousands of wounded Palestinians in Gaza and patients like Hanna, the ceasefire agreed by the Israeli cabinet on Saturday after much political tension is more than a diplomatic milestone; It is a matter of survival. The Rafah crossing is expected to open as part of the agreement, allowing Palestinians in Gaza to seek medical treatment.

The region’s healthcare sector has been devastated by the war, leaving it depleted of human resources, equipment and infrastructure, and medical staff, who have faced Israeli attacks and have little left to offer their patients.

Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex and head of the treatment department abroad, said, “There is nothing that Gaza’s healthcare sector can offer for these serious situations: no medicine, no specialists, No operation or procedure, no proper equipment.” , told Al Jazeera, adding that for many the only chance of survival is treatment abroad.

The ceasefire is set to ease the evacuation of Gaza Palestinians needing medical treatment through the Rafah border crossing. “The details of where patients will go for treatment are still unclear. Starting in October 2023, 5,300 Gazans left for treatment to Arab and European countries as well as the United States. It is still unclear which countries these cases will travel to,” Abu Salmiya said.

death sentence

For Abeer, who also has two sons, the Rafah crossing is his family’s only hope of holding on to Hana. “The ‘Hana diagnosis’ felt like a death sentence for our family,” Abir said, his voice breaking and tears streaming down his face. “But watching his condition deteriorate daily, with us or no one in Gaza able to give him anything, is another level of suffering.”

The family’s troubles began when Hanna’s eyes became swollen, prompting a visit to an eye doctor, who immediately referred her to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. There, tests confirmed the devastating news: Hana had cancer, with multiple tumors in her head.

Abir narrated how his once energetic daughter, despite being born with cerebral atrophy and unable to speak, had grown up with sharp hearing, clear vision and a zest for life. But since her diagnosis, Hanna has completely lost her vision, and her hearing is rapidly deteriorating. She is also unable to eat due to a large tumor in her throat, and now relies on a feeding tube attached to her stomach.

Hana has not received any cancer treatment for three months due to the lack of medical supplies in Gaza. “He only gets painkillers to help him sleep,” Abeer said. “If it had not been for the war and the blockade, Hanna’s treatment could have started and she could have recovered. “Instead, her condition has worsened, causing her to lose all sensation and become immobile.”

patients are dying every day

According to Abu Salmiya, 20,000 sick and injured Palestinians need treatment in Gaza, 12,000 of whom are in serious condition. “About 6,000 people injured in the war require immediate treatment in facilities abroad. These include about 4,000 disabled people, and more than 2,000 cases who have suffered severe injuries to the spinal cord and spinal cord, resulting in disability and paralysis,” he said.

In a speech to the UN Security Council meeting on 3 January, Dr. Rick Pepperkorn, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative for the West Bank and Gaza, said that more than a quarter of the 105,000 civilians killed during the 15-month Israeli bombardment More were injured. Gaza is facing “life-changing injuries”. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, describing hospitals as a “battlefield”, cited WHO figures and said there had been 654 attacks on health facilities, resulting in 886 deaths and 1,349 injuries.

According to the organization, more than 1,000 health workers have been killed since October 2023, adding further pressure to an overwhelmed health care system, with only 16 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals partially operational, and at least 1,800 Beds are available.

“We are losing patients in circumstances that we could have easily handled had the war not been there. We have lost about 25 percent of our dialysis patients. Babies with heart disease are dying in incubators every day because we can’t operate on them. At least 20 patients with treatable diseases die every day in front of helpless staff, Abu Salmiya said.

Given those dire circumstances, getting out of the area has been “a difficult and futile process”, the official said, especially since the closure of the Rafah crossing. “Israeli restrictions on the Kerem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) border crossing (between Gaza and Israel) meant that many people were not allowed to go, although they were given the green light. For example, babies will be allowed to go, but without their mothers,” he explained. Only 490 with medical conditions were allowed to leave the area since May. Abu Salmiya commented, “Out of 12,000 serious conditions, 490 are nothing.”

According to Abu Salmiya, the ceasefire should bring an influx of resources and ease of departure for outbound patients. “We urgently need plastic and burn surgeons, bone restoration consultants as well as consultants in neurosurgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, thoracic surgery, maxillofacial surgery and cardiac surgery,” he said.

He also called on WHO, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to “ensure the safe and timely return of hospitalized medical cases worldwide, noting that the majority lost their travel documents amid war and displacement.” Have given,” the officer requested. ,

Desperate hopes in Nasir Hospital

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, 14-year-old Raghad al-Farra lies in a hospital bed, barely able to speak. His dream of surviving his injuries and living a normal life depends on receiving treatment outside Gaza.

Raghad was seriously injured on July 22, 2024, when an Israeli airstrike hit her family’s home. “The pain never ends,” she said, her words slow and strained. Raghad has spent most of the last six months in hospital, rotating between departments for nerve, bone and stomach care.

His mother, Shadia al-Farra, recalled the day their home was bombed. Her three daughters, including Shadiya and Raghad, were on the upper floor, while her husband and their youngest child were downstairs. “The walls collapsed around us,” she said. The attack also destroyed a neighboring house, killing its occupants.

Raghad’s injuries were serious. Doctors diagnosed two fractures in his spine, complex fractures in his right leg and massive internal bleeding. She underwent emergency surgery to remove her spleen and parts of her lungs, but remains in critical condition. Her mother said, “She still has severe fibrosis and other stomach complications requiring treatment that is not available in Gaza.”

In late August, doctors at Nasser Hospital prepared a file for Raghad’s transfer abroad, which was handed over to Israeli authorities through WHO in mid-September. However, no sanction has been granted, and Raghad’s condition continues to deteriorate. She has trouble breathing, moving or eating and recently had her tonsils removed to prevent further complications.

Shadiya fears that her daughter’s time is running out. “If Rafa doesn’t open soon, Raghadh won’t survive. Their lives depend on specialized care that Gaza cannot provide,” he said.

The risks are enormous for patients and their families, who have endured enormous suffering during the 15-month war. “Our children are dying before our eyes,” Shadia said. “We are powerless because our medical system has collapsed. “The ceasefire and the reopening of Rafah are our only hope.”

This piece was published in collaboration with Agab.