Gazan Mother Reunited with Evacuated Daughter after Two Years

Eight children, evacuated from Gaza as premature infants during the early stages of the conflict, have returned from Egypt and been reunited with their families. These toddlers were part of over 30 severely ill newborns transported from Shifa Hospital in November 2023, when heavy fighting forced their relocation. The hospital had previously been occupied by Israeli forces, who claimed it was used by Hamas.

A Mother’s Hope and Fear

Sundus al-Kurd, a mother awaiting her daughter’s return on Monday, described her emotions as “a mix of fear and joy.” She feared that her family might not accept her after nearly two years of separation. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Sundus held a pink-embroidered dress for her daughter, Bisan, while recounting her struggle to take her newborn out of Shifa Hospital after the Israeli occupation began.

“I lived between despair and hope that my daughter might still be alive,” Sundus explained. “Months later, we heard in the news that premature infants had died in Shifa. I would look at the photos, trying to feel, as a mother, whether this could be my child or not.”

Sundus had already lost another child, her parents, and her brother by the time Bisan was born. The news that her daughter was alive and well in an Egyptian field hospital, identified by the pink bracelet given at birth, felt “like a dream” to her.

The Ceasefire’s Limited Success

The return of these toddlers represents a modest success amid the sparse benefits of the Gaza ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. However, six months into the agreement, the territory’s future remains unclear, trapped in a state of war and peace.

Gaza remains divided, with Israeli forces temporarily controlling about half the area. Hamas, meanwhile, is reportedly strengthening its influence in the remaining region, where most of the population resides amidst the ruins of conflict.

Challenges Ahead

The Trump plan ties reconstruction and Israeli troop withdrawal to Hamas’s disarmament, yet progress on this vital aspect is minimal. Nickolay Mladenov, the UN’s high representative tasked with coordinating with Gaza’s administration, stated last week that the choice lay between “renewed war or a new beginning.” But a Hamas-linked Palestinian official told the BBC that the group is likely to reject the disarmament proposals it has received.

With Israel now involved in new wars in Lebanon and Iran, attention on Gaza has waned. Yet the lessons from its ordeal remain significant, highlighting the complexities that follow Israel’s military actions and the difficulty of transforming force into lasting peace.