An aid organization has revealed that four Palestinian children, who were either injured or fell ill during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, have been brought to the United States for medical treatment.
The three boys and one girl, aged between 3 and 11, were safely evacuated to Egypt before being flown to the United States. They arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday morning to receive essential medical treatment at hospitals in New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.
According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the ongoing war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has resulted in the tragic loss of nearly 15,000 children’s lives, with thousands more left injured. These young victims have endured devastating fractures and severe burns, which unfortunately cannot be adequately treated within Gaza due to the scarcity of medical resources and the challenging conditions faced in this besieged territory.
Tareq Hailat, head of the treatment abroad program at the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), expressed that the mere mention of statistics like 15,000 children being killed may not truly resonate with us due to our distance from the actual events. He emphasized the need for a more vivid representation of the situation during an interview with ABC News. Hailat further mentioned that the PCRF, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, played a crucial role in facilitating the travel arrangements for these children.
“These heartbreaking images of children in the United States serve as a powerful reminder that these are not just statistics. Each of these children has endured unimaginable hardships that not only impact their own lives, but also deeply affect everyone connected to them,” he explained.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, since October 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and Israel responded with military operations in Gaza, the Israeli forces have caused the deaths of at least 34,183 people in Gaza and injured 77,143 others. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that at least 1,700 Israelis have been killed and 8,700 others injured by Hamas or other Palestinian militants.
According to Hailat, the PCRF has successfully evacuated 100 children from Gaza to Egypt. Out of these, 60 children have been relocated to different countries in order to receive the necessary medical treatment. Presently, seven of these children are in the United States, with the four most recent arrivals joining them.
Fadi Al Zant, a 6-year-old child, is facing the challenge of severe malnourishment alongside cystic fibrosis, as reported by the PCRF. Due to the dire situation of “full-blown famine” in northern Gaza, Fadi’s weight has dropped to around 28 pounds, equivalent to that of a 2-year-old toddler. At one point, he even reached a meager weight of 25 pounds, as highlighted by the PCRF.
According to Hailat, individuals with cystic fibrosis require nearly three times the calorie intake of an average person. Additionally, they need specific types of nutrition due to their chronic condition. The caloric needs of a child with cystic fibrosis vary based on factors like age, weight, severity of the disease, as stated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Fadi was forced to leave northern Gaza and seek refuge in the south. Eventually, he managed to cross into Egypt before making his way to the United States. The PCRF announced that Fadi will be receiving treatment at the Northwell Cohen’s Children Center in New York.
According to the PCRF, Rakan Aldardaswai, 9, and Adam Abuajawa, 11, are both suffering from severe injuries as a result of the intense fighting in Gaza.
According to the PCRF, Rakan experienced a devastating injury in November when his shelter was hit by an airstrike, trapping him under debris for a harrowing two hours. The incident resulted in fractures to both of his femurs, leaving him in persistent agony. Despite undergoing internal fixation surgery, a procedure that utilizes implanted hardware to repair broken bones, Rakan’s condition did not improve as expected.
Hailat expressed concern over the internal fixator, stating that it had gone awry and ended up stabbing the patient and protruding from his leg. “It’s literally out of his leg,” Hailat emphasized. He stressed the importance of removing the fixator and ensuring that the subsequent procedure is performed with precision and effectiveness.
According to the PCRF, the last patient is 3-year-old Saja Bilal Junaid. She experienced third-degree burns on most of her face after an Israeli airstrike struck the refugee camp in Jabalia, located in northern Gaza. Due to the severity of her burns and the limited number of surgeons in Gaza who can handle her case, she was transported to the United States for treatment.
Saja’s mother and youngest brother are accompanying her as she prepares to undergo treatment for skin grafts and potentially reconstructive surgery, according to Hailat.
In an interview with ABC News, Hailat acknowledges that the number of children his organization has successfully evacuated, which currently stands at 100, may seem small in the grand scheme of things. However, he emphasizes that the process of evacuating these children is incredibly complex and demanding.
“[T]he process of extracting these children and securing visas for them to bring them to the United States is incredibly challenging. We hope that the process can be simplified so that we can assist a larger number of people than we have been able to so far,” he expressed.