In brief
Sundus al-Kurd, a Gazan mother, was elated as she reunited with her daughter Bisan after over two years apart due to the ongoing war. Bisan was among a group of premature infants evacuated from Gaza's Shifa Hospital following heavy fighting. The emotional reunion highlights the broader context of the difficult circumstances families in Gaza face amidst conflict.
At least eight children who were evacuated from Gaza as premature babies in the early weeks of the war have returned from Egypt and been reunited with their relatives. The toddlers were among more than 30 severely ill newborns in incubators who were evacuated from Gaza's Shifa Hospital during heavy fighting. The hospital complex had earlier been occupied by Israeli forces, who claimed it was being utilized by Hamas.Sundus al-Kurd, a mother anxiously awaiting her daughter's return, expressed being 'torn between fear and joy,' concerned about her acceptance as a parent after their prolonged separation. Waiting at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, she clutched a pink-embroidered dress for Bisan and recounted her desperate attempts to take her newborn out of Shifa Hospital, only to be informed that Bisan could not be moved from her incubator.It took nearly a year for Sundus to learn her daughter was alive and well in an Egyptian field hospital, identified by a pink bracelet issued at birth. Sundus, having previously faced great loss in her family, described the news of Bisan's survival as 'like a dream.' Despite the emotional reunion, the overall situation in Gaza remains precarious, with ongoing divisions and the uncertainty of the region's future amidst a ceasefire arrangement brought forth by diplomatic efforts, notably from US President Donald Trump.
