In a much-awaited development, dozens of sick and injured children, including 20 cancer patients, have been evacuated from Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after enduring months of hardship amidst ongoing Israeli bombardment. This marked the first evacuation since Israel's offensive in Rafah last month.

According to Israeli authorities, a total of 68 children were transferred to Cairo, Egypt on Thursday. The passage was coordinated by the Israeli agency COGAT, in collaboration with the Israeli military, the United States, Egypt, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The evacuation brought a moment of solace for parents whose children have been deprived of lifesaving care due to the protracted conflict. Samira Al-Saeedi, the mother of six-year-old Jouri who was evacuated, expressed the toll the situation has taken on families in northern Gaza. She shared, "It was a tough time for us...nine months of exhaustion, displacement. People started stealing just to eat... Sick children cannot withstand famine."

Heart-wrenching footage from Nasser Hospital showed the plight of five-year-old Yasmin, a blood cancer patient. Emaciated and in pain, she was seen squirming on a teal mattress. Yasmin's mother, Umm Ubaida, spoke of the agony her daughter endures daily, receiving blood treatments and feeling her pain intensify with each passing day. Umm Ubaida pleaded, "She is extremely tired. She can't wait any longer."

It is crucial to note that the evacuations come at a time when the southern Rafah crossing, a vital transit point, remains closed despite ongoing negotiations for its reopening. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Chief of WHO, welcomed the evacuation and urged increased medical passage through all possible routes, emphasizing the need to ensure access to medical care in Egypt, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and other countries when necessary.

However, while this evacuation provides a glimmer of hope, Palestinian officials have cautioned that it is "a drop in the ocean" compared to hundreds of severely ill children still trapped in the devastated enclave. The Ministry of Health in Gaza disclosed that over 25,000 sick individuals require urgent treatment abroad, including 980 children with cancer, among them 250 patients facing the specter of "certain death."

Israel's military campaign has ravaged the medical system and depleted essential food supplies. Despite Israel claiming no limit on aid entering Gaza, human rights agencies highlight the impact of the stringent inspection regime on trucks, ongoing restrictions on land crossings, and the relentless bombing campaign, which severely hamper relief efforts.

The Israeli military launched its offensive in Gaza following a series of attacks by Hamas in October. Since then, the attacks have claimed the lives of 37,718 Palestinians and injured 86,377 others, according to Gaza health officials. Even before the war, chronically ill patients in Gaza faced significant obstacles in accessing medical treatment abroad due to the years-long blockades imposed by both Israel and Egypt.

For parents, the journey to the evacuation was arduous, involving days of travel from the northern Kamal Adwan Hospital to the south, exacerbating the malnutrition and dehydration of their children. Some families were denied approval to accompany their children, while others were left waiting for days in windowless rooms at Nasser Hospital without any clarity on the departure date.

Shadi Mustafa Hussein Yassin, a worried father from Nuseirat in central Gaza, expressed his concerns for the fate of his 11-year-old son, Siraj, who was evacuated with his mother and siblings. Shadi shared that Siraj, a blood cancer patient, requires a sample from him for a marrow transplant, but he was unable to travel as he was told he must be over 60 years old.

The evacuation of sick children from Gaza highlights the urgent need for increased assistance and medical support in the war-torn region. While this development brings temporary relief, it is imperative that efforts focus on ensuring the well-being and access to lifesaving treatment for all vulnerable individuals left behind in the ravaged enclave.