In a heartwarming turn of events, a mother, Warda Sbeta, has been reunited with her prematurely born son, Anas, after weeks of uncertainty following the evacuation of 31 infants from Gaza City’s embattled Al Shifa Hospital.
Speaking with Reuters TV , Sbeta expressed her initial despair at not locating Anas among the infants who had been transported to southern Gaza. “I was losing hope to see my baby alive,” she confessed.
With trepidation, Sbeta and her husband diligently combed through the list of names provided by the neonatal unit head at the Rafah hospital, where the babies were relocated. Finally, Anas’s name emerged, bringing relief to the anxious parents.
“I felt alive again, grateful to God that we now have our baby safely in our care,” said Sbeta, her joy evident as she cradled Anas, dressed in a light blue sleepsuit and matching hat, within the confines of the hospital.
Sbeta, 32, who already has seven older children, now resides with her family in a school in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, transformed into a shelter for those displaced by the conflict.
Despite being offered evacuation to Egypt for Anas’s continued medical care, Sbeta declined, unwilling to be separated from her husband and other children. “I can’t leave them with only their father. He won’t be able to look after them. So I was obliged to refuse this offer,” she explained.
Anas, one of the three premature babies who stayed behind in Gaza out of the 31 rescued from Al Shifa, faced challenges due to the dire conditions. Tragically, eight infants lost their lives before the evacuation to Rafah and Egypt could be arranged, with two more succumbing the night prior to the relocation.
Out of the 31 infants transported to Rafah, 28 were subsequently evacuated to Egypt . UNICEF spokesman James Elder highlighted the dire situation, noting that some of the unaccompanied babies were orphans, emphasizing the gravity of the circumstances faced by families in Gaza.
Anas’s journey, marked by the turmoil of war, saw Sbeta and her family flee their home in Gaza City as Israel launched a military assault, resulting in widespread displacement and devastating living conditions for the population.
The Sbeta family, like many others, sought refuge in southern Gaza, leaving Anas behind at Al Shifa, which struggled with dwindling resources. Communication was severed when Israeli forces entered the hospital, intensifying the family’s anguish.
“We completely lost any news about the baby. We were not able to know anything about him. Is he alive? Is he dead? Is someone giving him milk?” Sbeta revealed, describing the harrowing uncertainty.
The family’s desperate search for information ended with the help of fellow displaced individuals, leading them to the maternity hospital in Rafah, where the emotional reunion with Anas finally took place.
As Anas, now stable, prepares to embark on a new chapter with his family in Khan Younis, the Sbeta family’s story stands as a testament to the resilience and hope amidst the adversities faced by the people of Gaza.
