Doctors in Gaza City Save unborn Baby After Parents Killed in Strike
Doctors at Helou Hospital in Gaza City successfully delivered a baby boy, Hamza, whose parents were killed in an Israeli airstrike in March 2024. The mother was in critical condition when pulled from the rubble, and suffered from oxygen deficiency, impacting the unborn child.
Hamza’s siblings - Dima, 10, Anas, eight, and Mohammad, five – were also in the home during the attack. Only Diana and Omar survived alongside Hamza, according to their grandmother, who spoke with CBC freelance videographer Mohamed El saife. The grandmother revealed that five of her grandchildren - two girls and three boys – and her two sons have been killed in the ongoing war.”he will live among us, his aunts and uncles,” she said of Hamza, expressing hope he would grow up strong like his father and uncles.”What’s this child’s fault to have to live without a father or mother?”
The situation in Gaza City remains dire. Much of the city was devastated in the initial weeks of the conflict, beginning in October-November 2023. While approximately a million people lived there before the war, hundreds of thousands have since returned to live amongst the ruins, particularly after being ordered to evacuate other areas.On Monday, israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Gaza City residents to evacuate instantly, anticipating intensified airstrikes. Though, manny remain, stating there is nowhere safe to flee within the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have been operating on the outskirts of Gaza City for the past month, claiming control of 40 per cent of the city.
The renewed Israeli assault threatens to further complicate ceasefire negotiations. Mediation efforts aimed at preventing the assault were already fragile, and were further undermined after Israel targeted Hamas negotiators in Qatar on Tuesday.
The current conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israeli border communities in October 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the seizure of around 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. While most hostages have been released through temporary ceasefires, 50 remain in Gaza, with Israeli officials believing around 20 are still alive.
