Gazan child battling leukemia transferred to hospital following long wait

DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE - MAY 28, 2024: A Gazan child suffering from leukemia in Deir al-Balah was transferred to Jerusalem's al-Mutalaa Hospital on Tuesday (May 28). The Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has restricted access to proper healthcare, severely impacting children with serious illnesses. Nabil Kahel, a Gazan child grappling with leukemia, is one of them. For his treatment, the child needed to be transfered to the al-Mutalaa Hospital in Jerusalem via Kerem Shalom border crossing. The transfer was possible thanks to dedicated efforts of members of an international relief organization. Despite a prolonged and challenging wait in the face of insufficient healthcare, Nabil Kahel has managed to survive. "He constantly suffered from diarrhea and bled from his nose and mouth, with no one available to assist him. There was no possibility in the hospital to treat him properly," Ayat Kahel, the mother of the sick child, described his condition. Numerous other children are still waiting for assistance from international organizations to regain their health. "We want to draw the world's attention today to the fact that around 10,000 patients are denied the right to receive treatment abroad, especially after the recent escalation," Iyad Zakut, an emergency services director, noted. Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave. More than 36,100 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine. Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah. (Footage by Muhammed Alnahhal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)