A baby was miraculously born in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike killed his nine-month-pregnant mother, Ola Al-Kurd.
Ola Al-Kurd, eagerly awaiting the birth of her child, was among over 39,000 Palestinians killed in the conflict. On July 19, an airstrike hit her family’s home in Al-Nuseirat, central Gaza. The blast threw Ola several floors to her death, according to her father, Adnan Al-Kurd.
Miraculously, Ola’s baby survived the attack. Her husband was also hospitalized but survived. “It’s a miracle that the fetus stayed alive inside her when she died,” Adnan Al-Kurd said while looking at a photo of his daughter’s graduation.
The explosion, like many others, killed several family members, a common tragedy in Gaza since Israel began its offensive following a devastating attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on October 7 last year.
Efforts by mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to secure a ceasefire have failed, and Israeli airstrikes and shelling continue.
“She wanted to hold her child and bring life back to our home,” Al-Kurd said. “She hoped this would make up for the loss of her martyred brothers.”
Surgeons at Al Awda hospital in Nuseirat managed to deliver the newborn, Malek Yassin, who was then transferred to Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. There, an aunt touched the baby’s face as he lay in an incubator. “Thank God, this baby’s life was saved, and he is now alive and well,” said Dr. Khalil Al-Dakran.
Al-Kurd, looking at photos of his three children killed in the war, said baby Yassin is blond like his uncle Omar. “I visit him every day. He is a part of me,” he said.
Babies who survive the frequent bombings face harsh conditions in Gaza. “We face great difficulties in the nursery department,” said Al-Dakran, citing a lack of medication, supplies, and fuel for the hospital generator.
Hospitals across Gaza have been severely damaged or destroyed during the conflict, which began when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages. Israel’s response has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and devastated much of the coastal territory.
“What fault is it of this child to start his life under such harsh and deprived conditions?” asked Al-Dakran.
