Gaza: baby rescued from dying mother’s womb dies

A premature baby, taken from its mother’s womb after being the victim of an Israeli airstrike, has tragically lost its life in Gaza.

Sabreen al-Rouh Jouda, named after her late mother, died Thursday in a hospital in Gaza after her health deteriorated, despite efforts by medical teams to save her, according to her uncle, Rami al-Sheikh.

The residence of the Sabreen al-Rouh family, located in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, was the target of an Israeli airstrike shortly before midnight last Saturday. Sabreen al-Rouh’s parents and her 4-year-old sister were killed in the attack.

Rescuers quickly transported the bodies to the nearest hospital where an emergency caesarean section was performed on Sabreen al-Sakani’s mother, who was 30 weeks pregnant. The baby was then placed in an incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit, but unfortunately her condition worsened and she died five days later.

Rami al-Sheikh said Sabreen al-Rouh was buried alongside her father in a poignant funeral last Thursday.

This tragedy comes against the backdrop of already high human casualties during the conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to local health authorities, more than 34,000 Palestinians lost their lives, two-thirds of them women and children.

Israel declared war on Hamas in response to the militants’ deadly attack on October 7 in southern Israel. This declaration of war launched a devastating air and ground offensive in Gaza. Militants caused the deaths of around 1,200 people in Israel and held 250 others hostage.

More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have sought refuge in Rafah, where Israel has stepped up raids in preparation for a possible offensive on the city.