Fatima Dakkeh has reunited with her son, Joud, after being separated for three years [1].
The reunion highlights the long-term humanitarian impact of the conflict in Gaza, where military operations at medical facilities led to the displacement of vulnerable infants and the fracturing of families.
Fatima gave birth a few months before Oct. 7, 2023 [1]. Her life changed during the Israeli raid on Al-Shifa Hospital in November 2023 [1]. During the military operation, eight premature babies were evacuated from the hospital to Egypt under fire [1], [2]. Joud was among those infants, an event that separated him from his mother.
"I gave birth just months before October 7, and the next day I lost my baby. I spent almost three years looking for him," Dakkeh said [3].
Israeli military officials said the hospital was being used by Hamas, which necessitated the raids [1], [2]. However, the resulting bombardment and evacuations left many families without knowledge of their children's whereabouts. Dakkeh spent two years and eight months searching for her son before their reunion in mid-2026 [1].
Other families faced similar traumas during the evacuation of the eight infants [1]. Megan Brown said Israeli strikes on Al-Shifa forced the evacuation of premature infants to Egypt, many of whom were separated from their families [2].
Rashid Al-Mansour said families are finally reuniting after three years apart, but the trauma of losing years with their children remains [4].
“"I spent almost three years looking for him."”
The separation of infants from their parents during the Al-Shifa Hospital raids underscores the vulnerability of neonatal care in conflict zones. While the Israeli military justified the operations based on Hamas' presence in the facility, the evacuation of premature infants to a foreign country created a bureaucratic and physical barrier that prevented family reunification for years. This case serves as a primary example of the collateral social damage caused by urban warfare in densely populated areas.
