Eight Palestinian children who were evacuated as premature babies during Israel's assault on Gaza have returned to the territory after more than two years, bringing a rare moment of joy to their families.
The babies were part of a group of at least 25 newborns who were evacuated from al-Shifa hospital in November 2023, as Israeli forces entered the hospital compound in Gaza City.
Their return was accompanied by strong emotions in Rafah, where families were reunited after years of separation. The war in Gaza, since October 2023, has caused more than 72,200 casualties, among them thousands of women and children.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society announced that its teams participated in a humanitarian mission to return eight children to Gaza. They were accompanied by three family members and two medical staff members, after receiving treatment outside the territory.
Their parents, faced with bombings and forced displacement, spent weeks and months not knowing whether their babies had survived.
"Our feelings are indescribable. This is the most important moment of our lives, especially because she is my first daughter," said Samer Lulu, the father of one of the children.
He added that the joy of reunification is also accompanied by pain over the difficult reality in Gaza and the uncertainty of the future.
In 2023, the babies were first transferred from al-Shifa Hospital in southern Gaza and then evacuated to Egypt for life-saving treatment. In Gaza hospitals, doctors struggled to keep them alive amid severe shortages of medicine, food and medical supplies due to the blockade of the territory.
