A baby girl, named Rouh, meaning Soul, who was delivered from her dying mother’s womb in a Gaza hospital following an Israeli airstrike, has tragically passed away after just a few days of life. The doctor caring for her confirmed the news on Friday.
The mother, Sabreen Al-Sakani, was seriously injured when the Israeli strike hit their family home in Rafah, located in the southernmost city of the besieged Gaza Strip, last Saturday night. Tragically, Sabreen’s husband Shukri and their three-year-old daughter Malak were killed in the strike.
Sabreen, who was 30 weeks pregnant, was rushed to the Emirati hospital in Rafah, where doctors managed to save the baby by delivering her via Caesarean section, despite her mother’s passing.
Doctor Mohammad Salama, head of the emergency neo-natal unit at Emirati Hospital, disclosed that the baby suffered from respiratory problems and a weak immune system. Despite efforts to save her, she succumbed to her health challenges on Thursday.
“She was born while her respiratory system wasn’t mature, and her immune system was very weak, and that is what led to her death. She joined her family as a martyr,” Dr. Salama said in a phone interview with Reuters.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in significant casualties, with more than 34,000 Palestinians killed in the six-month-old war in Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians in its campaign against Hamas.
The loss of Baby Rouh adds to the tragic toll of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict. Gaza’s infrastructure, including hospitals, has been severely impacted by Israeli bombardments, exacerbating the challenges faced by medical professionals in providing care to the injured.
Dr. Salama recounted the grandmother’s plea for the doctors to care for Rouh, as she would symbolize the memory of her mother, husband, and sister. However, despite their efforts, it was not to be.