Where do the children go? Stories of Gaza's evacuated children in Egypt

Ramallah, July 31, 2025— Thousands of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have been seriously injured or permanently disabled by the Israeli military in direct, indiscriminate attacks as part of Israel's ongoing genocidal campaign against Palestinians. Many dream of leaving Gaza to receive medical treatment abroad, but a few have had the chance. Those few face a harsh reality upon arrival in Egypt.

Defense for Children International - Palestine collected testimonies from the parents and caregivers of four children suffering from serious injuries as a result of Israeli attacks in Gaza Strip Israel’s campaign of genocide has collapsed Gaza’s health care system, making it impossible for children to receive the surgeries, medication, physical therapy, and follow-up care that is required to recover from such traumatic injuries.

These children were granted permission to cross the border, but even then, their journey was far from over. Upon arrival in Egypt, instead of the safety and treatment they had hoped for, they were met with a new set of challenges; delays, neglect, harsh conditions, and a lack of adequate medical care, alongside the pain, sorrow and longing for beloved ones.

DCIP’s field researcher in Egypt had to document these cases remotely through video call, as the Egyptian authorities denied permission to visit the injured children. Due to restrictions imposed on access, including denial of permits and hospital visits, direct documentation and in-person interviews were not possible.

“Israeli airstrikes severely damaged our home in Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, forcing us to seek refuge in a UNRWA school,” Islam Mohammad Felfel told DCIP.

Islam, a mother of four children, 15-year-old Majd, 12-year-old Yousef, 10-year-old Nader, and 8-year-old Rahaf, was displaced multiple times, saying “After receiving Israeli evacuation warnings, I had no choice but to escape with my family, including my young children, Nader and Rahaf, to Rafah city. We spent nearly four months there, a challenging time for me as my older sons, Majd and Yousef, were still with their father in Gaza City, who refused to evacuate.”

The day after the tragic Al-Kuwait Roundabout massacre, the mother learned during a phone call that her son, Majd, was among the injured. On March 23, 2024, Israeli forces and tanks opened fire on individuals and groups of Palestinian people, killing 19 Palestinians and injuring 23 others, who were attempting to get flour and aid from a convoy in Al-Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City  on March 23, 2024, also known as the second Flour Massacre, after the Al-Rashid Street massacre on February 29, 2024.

"Majd had suffered a critical facial injury from an expanding bullet, as well as a bullet wound to his leg," Islam said."He was transferred to the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, but due to the overwhelming number of casualties and the lack of available beds, doctors were forced to perform his surgery in the hospital kitchen. He remained hospitalized for nearly two months, with his condition being critical.”

“I later discovered that Majd had been moved to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for further treatment and a plastic splint had been inserted into his neck to aid his breathing. He stayed there for nearly two more months, but then the Israeli army invaded and took control of the hospital,” Islam told DCIP.

“Despite how serious his condition was, his father decided to bring him home, where he received no medical care at all. I tried to convince Majd's father to let him come to me in the south so I could take care of him and monitor his condition. At that time, I was living in Khan Yunis after being displaced from Rafah,” the mother recounted.

Just two days after their last conversation, Majd’s mother was stunned to know that her son had escaped on foot to southern Gaza, without his father's knowledge.

Islam told DCIP, "When I saw him, he was skin and bones that I couldn’t recognize him. He was severely underweight and weak, suffering from an old injury and extreme hunger after months in Gaza City. His deteriorated condition left me in disbelief. He then described how he had crossed the heavily militarized Netzarim checkpoint, controlled by Israeli forces."

Israeli soldiers detained Majd for an hour, suspicious of the mask covering his injured face. During the interrogation, they questioned his movement toward southern Gaza. Majd explained that he was seeking medical treatment for the serious injuries he had sustained, among them a fractured jaw, missing fragments of facial bone, and severely damaged teeth.

"I took Majd to several hospitals, including Nasser Hospital and the European Hospital in Khan Younis, as well as Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, where I closely monitored his condition," Islam said.

"Doctors confirmed that he urgently requires jaw surgery, facial bone grafts, and dental implants, and these treatments that are currently unavailable in Gaza due to the ongoing war and its impact on local hospitals,” she added.

"I submitted a request for a medical referral through the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, who assured me that Majd would be able to travel for treatment once a ceasefire is declared and the Rafah crossing is reopened."

In January 2025, a ceasefire agreement was reached between the Palestinian factions and Israel. However, Majd’s name was not included on the approved travel list, preventing the family from leaving Gaza.

"After the ceasefire, I returned to Gaza City with my children and began searching for ways to secure Majd’s medical evacuation. On February 19, 2025, I received a call confirming we were permitted to travel. I then left the Gaza Strip with Majd and my two other children, Nader and Rahaf. We spent one night at a hospital in Arish, Egypt, before being transferred to the Administrative Capital Hospital in Cairo the next day," Islam told DCIP.

After arriving at the hospital in Cairo, Egyptian doctors examined Majd and conducted a series of tests to assess his condition. When his mother asked about the next steps for treatment, the medical staff explained that they were waiting for the arrival of a specialist to evaluate Majd’s injuries before determining the appropriate course of action.

“Majd is unable to chew and can only consume soft, easily digestible foods like milk and juice, which I prepare for him. He wears a mask at all times, even in the hospital, because he cannot control the saliva that constantly drips down his chest. This symptom causes him deep embarrassment and has severely affected his mental state. He becomes anxious and withdrawn, insisting that no one sees him in this condition,” Majd’s mother said at the end of her interview.

“On the afternoon of September 2, 2024, I was jolted by the sound of two consecutive explosions near my parents' house. Within a minute, my son, Omar came rushing towards me, crying out in panic. After I managed to calm him down, he told me the bombing had struck the house of my brother Mohammad,” said Shifa Ismail Duqqi, an aunt of four-year-old Hanan and two-year-old Misk, in an interview with DCIP.

One week into the genocide, on October 15, 2023, Shifa was forced to flee her home with her husband and her three children, 11-year-old Omar, nine-year-old Ismail and three-year-old Sham, escaping the terrifying sounds of constant explosions in Jabalia, North Gaza. They made their way to her parents’ house in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza, hoping to find safety.

Upon arrival, the family settled in alongside other relatives who had also sought refuge. Her brother, Mohammad Duqqi, who lived 200 meters (656 feet) away with his wife, Shaima and his two daughters, four-year-old Hanan and two-year-old Misk, allowed them to remain close.

“After the strike hit Mohammad’s house, I received an update from my sister Hikmat, who is a radiologist in the Palestinian Red Crescent hospital, upon the arrival of the casualties at the hospital. She informed me that my brother's wife had been killed. Mohammad was pulled out from under the rubble, suffering multiple injuries and was placed in the ICU. He lost vision in one eye, with shrapnel wounds scattered across his body,” Shifa said.

“His daughter Hanan was thrown into the street by the force of the explosion, but a man rushed her to the hospital in his car. When she arrived, it was initially believed that she had succumbed to her wounds. However, a doctor's examination revealed that she was still alive, though in critical condition. Due to the severity of her injuries, the medical team had to amputate both of her legs and treat a significant intestinal injury through a hernia operation, alongside treating a skull fracture,” the aunt added.

“His young daughter, Misk, was found under a sofa in their home, having lost her left foot and suffering from numerous shrapnel wounds. Both girls required blood transfusions and catheterization, leading to their admission into the ICU for urgent medical attention,” she said.

After her brother Mohammad was injured and his wife killed, Shifa was left to care for their two daughters, Hanan and Misk. Despite having children of her own, she made the difficult decision to leave them behind to support her nieces, who were in urgent need of care. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., she devoted herself to their recovery, while her sister Hikmat took over during the night.

Shifa recounted: “Every day, I cleaned their wounds, changed their dressings, and gave them antibiotics. This has been our routine since the day they were injured. Thankfully, their amputation wounds began to heal, although the doctors are still doing plastic surgeries and skin grafts.”

Doctors emphasized the critical need for nutritious food rich in proteins and vitamins to support Hanan and Misk's recovery. However, the dire conditions in Gaza made it nearly impossible for the family to access the food needed to meet these medical recommendations.

“I couldn’t provide the nutrition they needed. There was no meat, no eggs, no fish—only canned food full of preservatives. Even those were too expensive," said Shifa.

Hanan and Misk continue to suffer from severe psychological trauma. Hanan, in particular, frequently asks about her mother, expressing a deep longing to see her. She also questions what happened to her legs, asking when they will come back and whether she’ll be able to walk and play like other children. The emotional toll has begun to manifest physically as well.

“She started refusing food and water, leading to significant weakness and weight loss. Even the anesthesia affected her badly, causing her to remain in a deep sleep for extended periods following each operation.”

After the Rafah crossing was destroyed by the Israeli army, efforts to secure a medical referral through the Ministry of Health were blocked, preventing the family from taking Hanan and Misk abroad for urgent treatment. Appeals for help were made, and eventually, the Fajr Foundation offered to assist in facilitating their travel to the United States. Shifa took responsibility for escorting both girls by herself and registered her children to travel with her, as she couldn't leave them behind in a war zone.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the Free Palestine Foundation stepped in to help facilitate the girls’ travel. At that time, permission was granted for the girls to leave Gaza accompanied by their aunt and her youngest daughter, Sham. However, her two sons, Omar and Ismail, were not included in the travel approval. Shifa continued to obtain permission to bring them with her until she received a helping hand from Human Appeal International.

“We faced a major challenge when the Rafah crossing was closed, prompting several organizations to coordinate efforts to facilitate our travel. At the same time, the U.S. elections resulted in Trump’s election as President, and his administration halted funding to many organizations. As a result, all plans for the two girls, myself, and my three children to travel to the U.S. were suspended. We remained in Gaza until February 15, 2025, when the Ministry of Health finally contacted us with instructions to travel to Egypt,” Shifa said.

Shifa added, “I traveled to Egypt with five children and arrived at the Administrative Capital Hospital in Cairo. Upon our arrival, doctors assessed Hanan and Misk and explained that Egypt does not have the necessary facilities to provide prosthetic limbs. While the girls are currently undergoing physical therapy, they urgently need prosthetic fittings and comprehensive care for their injuries, including psychological support.”

Shifa remains in Egypt with her children and nieces, unable to return to Gaza or travel abroad for the treatment the girls urgently need. They remain stranded, holding onto hope that an opportunity will arise for them to receive care outside the country.

“On June 8, 2024, the sounds of warplanes and tanks echoed through Nuseirat Camp, signaling an imminent attack by the Israeli army. I climbed to the roof of our house and saw a heavy presence of Israeli warplanes flying dangerously low overhead,” Rasha Abdulraouf Matar (Abu Jako), a mother of four children, 16-year-old Momen, 15-year-old Ahmad, 12-year-old Yamen, and eight-year-old Zain, told DCIP.

Rasha, along with her children and their father Mohammad Matar (Abu Jako), was displaced after two weeks of October 7, 2023, from their home in the Al-Zahraa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City. They settled in a relatively vacant apartment in her parents’ building in Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza, which was deemed safe and designated for humanitarian aid by the Israeli army.

“On the same day, my son Momen urged me to quickly take shelter in the stairwell, warning me to stay away from windows and doors. At the same time, my other son, Yamen, told us that a military vehicle, belonging to an Israeli special forces unit, was parked just outside and had broken down right in front of our home,” Rasha said.

A sudden, loud noise erupted outside the home, where Rasha's family took shelter, assuming it was just the familiar sound of aid trucks passing by her parents' apartment.

Rasha continued, "Momen looked out from the stairwell window, realizing it was the deafening rumble of Israeli tanks that had rolled onto the neighbourhood and had stopped right in front of my parents’ door. I suggested we seek shelter in my uncle’s apartment, fearing the worst, but my father insisted we move to the upper floor instead, believing it would offer more protection, even if an attack took place."

The whole family, 15 people in total, including eight children, huddled together in a single room on the third floor. Moments later, an explosion shook the building, blowing the main door open. This was immediately followed by a barrage of gunfire and stun grenades erupting from the ground, first, and second floors, accompanied by shouted commands in Hebrew that echoed throughout the building.

"Israeli soldiers stormed the third floor where we were gathered, unleashing gunfire and tossing stun grenades into the living room. They shouted, and they were inquiring if anyone was present. My father and brother responded, 'We are here.' They instructed him, 'Come out.' Just as my father reached for the door, they shot around five to six shots echoing through the room."

"They detained my father, forcefully throwing him to the ground, binding his hands, blindfolding him, and kicking him before dragging him out of the room. Then, a soldier who spoke Arabic stepped forward and called for my husband and brother. He placed bags over their heads, tied their hands, and took them away. After that, he turned to my son, Momen, and said ominously, ‘You… you.’”

Rasha glanced at her son, who was lying injured on the ground. His left arm was severely wounded, flesh and bone exposed, blood pouring from the open injury. In a moment of desperation and fear, she screamed at the soldiers, “What do you want from them? What do you want from my children? They are just children! One of the soldiers shouted back at me, ‘Be quiet or we will shoot you.’ They pointed their weapons at me to scare me into silence, but I kept screaming, begging my son to raise his hand.”

An Israeli soldier approached her second son, Ahmad, and shot him. The bullet tore through Ahmad’s right finger before hitting his aunt in the leg and stomach. The soldiers detained Ahmad.

“I screamed, ‘He’s just a child! Don’t be fooled by their size, they are still children!’ But they cuffed him and dragged him outside,” Rasha recounted. “I didn’t know what they were doing to him then, but later, Ahmad told me they tortured him. They put out cigarettes on his neck, stomped on him with their boots, and threatened my husband, saying they would kill the children if he didn’t confess to the location of resistance fighters.”

There were around 50 soldiers stationed in the apartment, including six to seven inside the room. While Rasha was taking care of Momen as he was heavily bleeding, she found out that her third son, Yamen, was injured as well.

“One of the soldiers ordered my son Yamen to open the closet, but he was lying next to it, unable to move because he was injured in the leg and abdomen. I looked at him and thought to myself, it doesn’t matter if it’s Momen’s arm or Yamen’s leg, as long as they survive.”

Yamen and Momen endured about 45 minutes of bleeding while their mother desperately called for first aid. The soldiers aimed their weapons at them all the time, telling them to remain silent with the Hebrew word 'Shaikit.' The soldier offered to take the sons to Israel for treatment, but Rasha firmly refused, insisting that she would never leave them.

“The soldiers received a call and began to withdraw, having been informed that their mission was complete. We later learned it was an operation to rescue Israeli prisoners from Nusseirat. As they withdrew, I saw my father return with his hands cuffed, calling my mother to free him.” Later, she was reunited with her husband, brother, and son Ahmad, who were released after the Israeli army had withdrawn from the area.

Rasha continued, "I held my sons tightly, their bodies stained with blood and the floor was soaked beneath them." She rushed to the windows, calling out for neighbors to assist them, but the street was empty; fear had gripped everyone. Her father descended to the basement to bring his car to transport the injured boys to the hospital.

“The bullet left such a deep hole, I could see Momen's bones,” she recalled, “I carried Yamen in my arms. He looked up at me with an expression I will never forget, and softly said, “I’m fine” as if he was saying goodbye.” Momen and Yamen were placed inside their grandfather’s car with their father, being driven to Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip.

“While I realized my clothes were soaked in blood, and I was barefoot, I received a call from my husband, informing me that Yamen had been martyred. I couldn't believe it; Yamen had only minor injuries. How could he be gone? I realized that the blood on my clothes was Yamen's as I’m the one who transferred him to the car.”

Rasha added, “I can still memorize the way he looked at me, his final, searching gaze burns in my memory. The weight of it presses on my conscience every day. I was so consumed with worry for Momen that I barely noticed the farewell in Yamen’s eyes, and that memory is almost unbearable.”

On June 8, 2024, Israeli forces stormed the Nuseirat refugee camp to rescue Israeli prisoners during a large-scale Israeli military operation known as Nuseirat rescue and massacre, unleashing a devastating assault that killed nearly 274 Palestinians, including at least 64 children—Yamen among them, and wounded over 700, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Abdulraouf, the father of Rasha and grandfather of Momen and Yamen, was interviewed by Al Jazeera English in a documentary about Nuseirat 274: The Hostage Massacre, describing in horrific detail the massacre that his family endured, killing his grandchild Yamen and injury many others, including one of his daughters, Momen and Ahmad.

“My son Momen was taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, where many other injured individuals were also sent. I rushed to care for him, as my husband and family were occupied with the funeral and burial of my son Yamen, whom I never had the chance to say goodbye to or see one last time,” said Rasha with anguish.

Due to the record number of injured people, Momen was lying on the ground in the hospital yard, as there were no available beds. An IV was inserted into his arm, and the doctors advised amputating it, but his mother refused, saying, "I insisted not to do the amputation because there’s still a pulse."

Momen was transferred by an ambulance to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, for better treatment, when his mother told him about the martyrdom of his brother Yamen.

Upon Rasha's arrival at the Nasser hospital, Momen underwent surgery, where the doctors informed her that, beyond the severe laceration to his arm, Momen had sustained critical abdominal injuries affecting his kidneys, liver, intestines, stomach, and vertebrae.

He was placed on a fasting regimen for about 12 days after surgery, which led to unusual swelling in his abdomen. The medical team explained that his right kidney had to be removed and the remaining organs stitched, due to the extent of the damage. The swelling was caused by fluid buildup beneath the liver and was accompanied by widespread jaundice. Further complicating his condition was a serious spinal laceration that resulted in hemiplegia.

A few days before the ceasefire was announced in January 2025, Momen underwent surgery to insert a platinum plate in his arm. Following the procedure, doctors had to refer him to Al-Wafa Hospital for rehabilitation in Gaza City. However, the hospital informed them that it would only resume operations during the ceasefire. As a result, he and his family relocated, making the journey along Salahaddin street, a journey that lasted about five hours, although it used to take only 20 minutes.

After a week at Al-Wafa Hospital, the family received a call from the World Health Organization informing them that Momen and two of his three companions, Rasha and Zain, but not Ahmad, had been granted permission to travel to Egypt.

“After crossing the borders on February 14, 2025, we were transported by ambulance to Sheikh Zuweid Hospital in Al-Arish, Egypt. Following medical examinations, we were moved the next day to the Administrative Capital Hospital in New Cairo. The doctors examined Momen and provided manual physiotherapy, along with medical solutions and antibiotics,” said Rasha.

Initially, Momen’s condition received serious medical attention, but over time, that attention began to fade. The bandage on his injured arm was changed only every four days, filling the room with a strong odor.

“I started to regret leaving Gaza and the wounded there were cared for more attentively,” Rasha said. “One of the doctors told me Momen needed surgery on his arm, but it’s been over two weeks and nothing has been done. When I asked why, they said they were waiting for the infection to clear and were giving him antibiotics.”

“I feel lost here in Egypt. All I want is for Momen to travel to Qatar for advanced treatment so he can regain the ability to walk. The loss of Yamen has shattered my heart, and I will carry that pain with me forever. My children aspire to learn, yet for the second consecutive year, they are denied access to school and education due to the war.”

Rasha concluded her words, saying, “Momen dreamed of becoming a doctor and studying abroad, but in an instant, Israel obliterated that dream. It is not just Momen or my children who have had their lives and aspirations crushed; every child in Gaza has seen their hopes and ambitions extinguished by the relentless Israeli genocide, while the entire world stands by, witnessing our suffering and destruction.”

Thousands of Palestinian children have been separated from their families due to Israel’s campaign of genocide in Gaza. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel has an obligation to protect children’s right to life and development. Israel also had obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, including children, which it has consistently failed to do.

Egypt, as the children’s host country and a state party to the CRC, is obligated to support and protect displaced children from Gaza residing in Egypt, to ensure they receive appropriate protection and humanitarian assistance to uphold their rights under international and domestic laws.

Israeli forces deliberately target Palestinian civilians, including children, in indiscriminate and disproportionate manners with the purpose of eliminating them by starving, maiming, killing and orphaning them, exploiting the entrenched impunity given to Israel’s ongoing illegal and belligerent occupation. Israeli forces have caused permanent physical and psychological injuries to thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza throughout the past 21 months of genocide, according to documentation collected by DCIP.

The State of Palestine, a state party to the CRC, is also obligated to facilitate the lives of Palestinians displaced from their homeland for reasons beyond their control.