Imagine a little girl in a pink sweater waving goodbye through a dirty bus window. She is not leaving for a fun trip, but because she is one of the 37 sick and injured patients, mostly children with cancer, finally allowed to leave Gaza for much-needed medical treatment.

        Gaza’s hospitals are in ruins, and it has been nine months since anyone could evacuate.  But now, a ceasefire has opened up the Rafah border crossing, and a ray of hope has shone through the darkness. On that Saturday, mothers wrapped their weak, sick children in coats, clutching papers and hoping that their spot on the evacuation list would be real.  It was a bittersweet moment.  Not everyone could go, and many had to leave family members behind.  This was the reality for eight-year-old Khalil, who was separated from his sick brother and mother.  He told NBC News crew, “They did not allow me to pass.  My brother went with my mom; he is sick. ”

        The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas opened Rafah crossing into Egypt.  It was agreed that 50 patients and wounded would be evacuated daily under the supervision of the World Health Organization.  For the first time in ages, a glimmer of hope was seen in Gaza.  While most people were focused on the hostage releases, the daily medical evacuations were aiming for a massive need.

        The World Health Organization representative for the occupied Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, talked to NBC News in Gaza.  He said, “We need to speed up the pace.  We estimate between 12, 000 to 14, 000 critical patients are needed to medevac. ”  He explained the urgency: “Trauma injuries, amputees, many of them children. Spinal cord injuries, burns, which need multiple different specialized operations and rehabilitation, which they currently cannot get in Gaza. ”  The conflict hasn’t just destroyed infrastructure, but it’s also crippled the health system.

        The war has been brutal on Gaza’s healthcare system.  Beyond the large number of war wounded, hundreds of thousands of people with acute and chronic illnesses were left with limited or no access to medicine and treatment.  The WHO reported that from the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, to when the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, Gaza's health care system sustained more than 1, 200 direct attacks, including at least 660 on health facilities, and over 1, 000 attacks that affected health care workers.

        The Israel Defense Forces has accused Hamas of using hospitals as command centers, transporting fighters in ambulances, and diverting fuel aid intended for hospital use to military purposes.  Hamas and hospital staff members deny these charges, but the scale of the crisis remains overwhelming.  For some children, it's already too late.  Dr. Muhammed Abu Salmiya, the director general of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, once Gaza's top hospital, said two of the children scheduled for evacuation died before they could make the journey.

        Last week, U. N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for 2, 500 children to be “immediately evacuated with the guarantee that they will be able to return to their families and communities. ”  But medical evacuations were rare even before the Rafah crossing closed.

        In the six months between October and May, the United States, hospitals, various nongovernmental organizations and local officials in Gaza were able to quietly move just 150 patients, most of them children, out of Gaza for lifesaving care.  After the Rafah crossing shut down when Israeli forces captured it in May, the improbable became nearly impossible.  The last significant evacuation appeared to have been in June, when 21 critically ill children were evacuated from the Gaza Strip.  The hope that this ceasefire brings will be a good thing for everyone.

        Now, with the Rafah crossing reopened, the hope is that more children can receive the lifesaving care they desperately need.  The needs are great, but progress is being made, and the evacuations are a testament to the resilience and determination of the people in Gaza.

        It is crucial to remember that the situation in Gaza is complex.  While the ceasefire brings a glimmer of hope, it is not a solution to the underlying issues.  The conflict has caused immense suffering, and the road to recovery will be long and challenging.  But for the children who have been evacuated, this is a lifeline that could make all the difference.

A Glimpse of Hope Amidst the Ruins: Gaza's Children Find a Way Out

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