In a heart-wrenching turn of events, 12-year-old Mazyouna Damoo, a Palestinian girl whose face was grotesquely disfigured by an Israeli missile strike, has finally been granted permission to leave Gaza to receive urgent medical treatment. The decision comes after months of repeated denials by Israeli authorities, which left the young girl’s life hanging in the balance.
Mazyouna’s harrowing ordeal began in June when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) missile slammed into her family’s home, tearing off half of her cheek and exposing her jawbone in a gruesome injury. The attack also claimed the lives of two of her siblings and left her mother and younger sister wounded.
A Desperate Plea for Help
Since the tragic incident, Mazyouna’s family has been desperately seeking to evacuate her from Gaza to receive the specialized maxillofacial surgery she urgently needs—a procedure unavailable in the war-torn enclave. However, their pleas fell on deaf ears as the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), the Israeli military body responsible for issuing travel permits in Gaza, repeatedly denied their requests without explanation.
According to sources close to the family, Mazyouna’s condition has deteriorated significantly due to the months-long delay in treatment. Shrapnel remains lodged in her neck, causing excruciating pain with every movement, and her wound has become severely infected. Doctors warn that without immediate surgery, the young girl’s life hangs in the balance.
A Glimmer of Hope
The tide finally turned for Mazyouna after her story garnered international attention, with media outlets around the world highlighting the family’s desperate struggle to secure her medical evacuation. Faced with mounting pressure and public outcry, Cogat relented, granting permission for Mazyouna, her mother, and her younger sister to leave Gaza for treatment in the United States.
“Following a thorough evaluation and diagnosis of her medical condition, the girl has been granted approval to leave Gaza accompanied by her mother. Ongoing coordination with the relevant authorities will ensure the continuation of her treatment.”
– Statement from Cogat
The family departed Gaza via the Kerem Shalom border crossing, en route to Jordan, where they will be flown to the US for Mazyouna’s life-saving surgery. However, the joy of their long-awaited evacuation is tempered by the heartbreaking reality that Mazyouna’s father, Ahmed Damoo, must remain behind in Gaza, uncertain of when, or if, he will be reunited with his surviving family members.
A Systemic Crisis
Mazyouna’s case is just one among countless others, highlighting the dire situation facing children in need of medical care in Gaza. According to UNICEF estimates, approximately 2,500 children in the besieged territory urgently require medical treatment that is unavailable locally, with most healthcare infrastructure decimated by years of conflict.
Sources reveal that children are being evacuated at a rate of less than one per day, with many facing the same bureaucratic hurdles and denials that nearly cost Mazyouna her life. Medical aid organizations on the ground report that delays in securing travel permits often lead to tragic outcomes, with children succumbing to treatable conditions while awaiting permission to leave.
“Children in Gaza are being denied the medical care that could save them and then prevented from leaving for places where help awaits them, with Israeli authorities making exceptions only when it’s too late.”
– Mosab Nasser, CEO of FAJR Scientific medical aid organization
A Glimmer of Hope Amidst the Darkness
As Mazyouna embarks on her journey to receive the medical care she so desperately needs, her story serves as a poignant reminder of the countless innocent lives caught in the crosshairs of the Israel-Gaza conflict. While her evacuation offers a glimmer of hope, it also underscores the urgent need for systemic change to ensure that no child is denied access to life-saving treatment.
The international community must demand accountability and press for the unhindered passage of medical evacuations from Gaza, to prevent more children like Mazyouna from falling victim to bureaucratic red tape and political posturing. Only then can we begin to hope for a future where the fundamental right to healthcare is not contingent upon the whims of those in power, and where the lives of children are valued above all else.
According to sources close to the family, Mazyouna’s condition has deteriorated significantly due to the months-long delay in treatment. Shrapnel remains lodged in her neck, causing excruciating pain with every movement, and her wound has become severely infected. Doctors warn that without immediate surgery, the young girl’s life hangs in the balance.
A Glimmer of Hope
The tide finally turned for Mazyouna after her story garnered international attention, with media outlets around the world highlighting the family’s desperate struggle to secure her medical evacuation. Faced with mounting pressure and public outcry, Cogat relented, granting permission for Mazyouna, her mother, and her younger sister to leave Gaza for treatment in the United States.
“Following a thorough evaluation and diagnosis of her medical condition, the girl has been granted approval to leave Gaza accompanied by her mother. Ongoing coordination with the relevant authorities will ensure the continuation of her treatment.”
– Statement from Cogat
The family departed Gaza via the Kerem Shalom border crossing, en route to Jordan, where they will be flown to the US for Mazyouna’s life-saving surgery. However, the joy of their long-awaited evacuation is tempered by the heartbreaking reality that Mazyouna’s father, Ahmed Damoo, must remain behind in Gaza, uncertain of when, or if, he will be reunited with his surviving family members.
A Systemic Crisis
Mazyouna’s case is just one among countless others, highlighting the dire situation facing children in need of medical care in Gaza. According to UNICEF estimates, approximately 2,500 children in the besieged territory urgently require medical treatment that is unavailable locally, with most healthcare infrastructure decimated by years of conflict.
Sources reveal that children are being evacuated at a rate of less than one per day, with many facing the same bureaucratic hurdles and denials that nearly cost Mazyouna her life. Medical aid organizations on the ground report that delays in securing travel permits often lead to tragic outcomes, with children succumbing to treatable conditions while awaiting permission to leave.
“Children in Gaza are being denied the medical care that could save them and then prevented from leaving for places where help awaits them, with Israeli authorities making exceptions only when it’s too late.”
– Mosab Nasser, CEO of FAJR Scientific medical aid organization
A Glimmer of Hope Amidst the Darkness
As Mazyouna embarks on her journey to receive the medical care she so desperately needs, her story serves as a poignant reminder of the countless innocent lives caught in the crosshairs of the Israel-Gaza conflict. While her evacuation offers a glimmer of hope, it also underscores the urgent need for systemic change to ensure that no child is denied access to life-saving treatment.
The international community must demand accountability and press for the unhindered passage of medical evacuations from Gaza, to prevent more children like Mazyouna from falling victim to bureaucratic red tape and political posturing. Only then can we begin to hope for a future where the fundamental right to healthcare is not contingent upon the whims of those in power, and where the lives of children are valued above all else.
