A group of Palestinian children from Gaza, evacuated abroad as premature infants for treatment, have returned to the enclave more than two years after Israel’s siege of al-Shifa hospital where they were born.
The eight toddlers arrived on Monday via the Rafah crossing, with teams from the Palestine Red Crescent Society taking part in the humanitarian mission, accompanied by the nursing teams who cared for them throughout their treatment journey.
The children were among over a dozen babies who were placed in incubators at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, and later evacuated to Egypt as Israeli troops stormed the complex in November 2023.
A post on X by the director general of the health ministry in Gaza said that they were among a few children who survived Israel's direct targeting of the hospital and the forcible expulsion of patients and staff.
The eight babies, who were in extremely critical condition, also faced severe shortages in neonatal care, Muneer Alboursh said. He added that nearly two weeks into the Israeli siege of al-Shifa, they were evacuated in a "perilous journey amid tanks and soldiers".
