Key facts
- Eleven preterm infants evacuated from Gaza to Egypt in November 2023 have returned to the Gaza Strip.
- The children were evacuated due to injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike and premature births.
- Seven of the 29 evacuated infants died in Egypt.
- Bissan, one of the returned children, was reunited with her mother, Sundus al-Kurd, after being separated for months.
- Ibrahim, another returned infant, was reunited with his father after his mother died of sorrow in Gaza.
Eleven preterm infants, evacuated from Gaza to Egypt in November 2023 due to war-related circumstances, have been returned to the Gaza Strip and are in the process of reconnecting with their families. The children were among 29 infants flown out in incubators after an Israeli airstrike injured Bissan's pregnant mother, leading to her premature birth. While seven of those babies died in Egypt, Bissan survived and, along with 10 others, was returned to Gaza in March 2024 with assistance from the UN.
For Bissan, now 2-1/2 years old, the reunion with her mother, Sundus al-Kurd, has been a gradual process. Initially, Bissan did not recognize her mother and would respond to any woman showing kindness. Her mother described Bissan's struggle to adapt to life in a war zone, where the sounds of explosions cause her fear. Despite these challenges, Bissan is slowly building a bond with her mother, seeking comfort during nighttime explosions.
However, not all reunions have been successful. Ibrahim, another infant evacuated to Egypt, was reunited with his father, Jabri Badr, after his mother died of sorrow in Gaza. His father noted the difficulty in connecting with Ibrahim, who does not yet call him 'dad'. Arafat Abu Mashayikh, a Gaza-based mental health expert, stated that it is natural for children and parents to take time to reconnect after prolonged separation, especially given the deprivation of maternal care and emotional development.
Reuters documented the reunions, observing the children and their families as they navigated the complexities of rebuilding relationships amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza.