In brief
Sundus al-Kurd was reunited with her daughter Bisan after two years of separation due to the war in Gaza. Following the evacuation of newborns from Shifa Hospital, several children, including Bisan, were finally returned home, bringing moments of joy amidst the ongoing challenges facing the region.
Sundus al-Kurd, a Gazan mother, experienced a profoundly emotional reunion with her daughter Bisan at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after enduring a two-year separation caused by the turmoil of war. In the initial weeks of conflict, Bisan, then a premature newborn, had been evacuated to Egypt alongside other critically ill infants from Gaza's Shifa Hospital during heavy fighting. As Israeli forces occupied the hospital, concern about the infants' fate grew, and for nearly a year, Sundus lived in a state of despair, often fearful that her daughter might not survive.Upon learning of Bisan's survival, identified by the pink bracelet she received at birth, Sundus felt as though she had awakened from a dreadful dream. I lived between despair and hope that my daughter might still be alive, she shared, illustrating the emotional toll the prolonged separation imposed on her.The return of Bisan and other toddlers marks a small triumph amidst the uncertain future of Gaza, which has been under challenging conditions since the ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. The ceasefire, however, has led to little progress in addressing the broader and chronic issues that plague the region. With ongoing divisions and conflict, particularly from Hamas and Israeli forces, the situation in Gaza remains complex and fraught with challenges.As Sundus holds the pink-embroidered dress she prepared for her long-lost daughter, she expresses her mixed feelings of joy and apprehension about their reunion, underscoring the personal struggles many families face amid the devastation of war.
