A Palestinian family from Gaza was flown to Türkiye by air ambulance via Jordan on Monday for medical treatment after Israeli forces detained the father at the border, despite having previously approved the family’s departure, as severe medicine shortages in the enclave continue to claim lives.
The family lost one child due to the lack of medication in Gaza, where shortages of medicine and food remain unresolved despite a cease-fire reached on Oct. 10 following nearly two years of Israeli attacks. Israel has continued limited military operations and has not allowed sufficient humanitarian aid into the territory.
Palestinian mother Iman Said Muammer is traveling with her 13-year-old daughter and her 3-year-old son, who suffers from a genetic syndrome and requires urgent treatment. They are being transported to Türkiye for medical care.
Israeli forces detained the father, Ali Fuad Abu Muammer, at the Kerem Abu Salem crossing as the family attempted to leave Gaza, even though his exit had been approved. Muammer said her husband, who works for the World Health Organization, was unjustly detained.
After leaving Gaza, the family crossed into Jordan via the King Hussein Bridge. An ambulance provided by the Turkish Embassy in Amman transported them to the capital’s airport, where they boarded an air ambulance bound for Adana, in southern Türkiye.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the way to the airport, the 28-year-old mother said her 4-year-old son died in Gaza due to the lack of medicine and treatment. Fighting back tears, she said she left Gaza only to save her 3-year-old child, who is seriously ill.
Muammer said her family has never lived a normal life in Gaza and that the closure of the Rafah crossing left them with no alternative but to leave.
While expressing gratitude for receiving medical treatment in Türkiye, she said the journey was painful without her husband and stressed that conditions in Gaza have not improved. She questioned why her innocent child must continue to suffer.
