It was supposed to be a miracle that unfortunately didn’t last for the Gaza baby Rouh (meaning life) Joudeh died four days after the doctors brought her out of the womb of her dying mother. It was a complicated procedure with death intertwining with life
Her mother Sabreen was rushed into a Rafah hospital together with her father Shukri and her three-year-old sister Malak after an Israeli military strike on their house in the southern city of Gaza.
All died on the way to hospital because of their extensive injuries but the fetus was alive with her faint moves detected in the womb.
The doctors soon realized the mother, in her last breath of life, was 30-weeks pregnant and decided to do a c-section and take their chances. Miraculously, they brought the fetus into the world alive, weighing 1.4 kilograms despite the fact the mother had a full month to deliver and in a bad state.
Soon the social media was buzzing with news about the ‘miracle baby’ who was brought into this world despite all odds and violence. It was the cycle of life with her uncle naming her Rouh as per the wishes of her 29-year-old mother. He says he will now look after the baby.
Rouh was born in a field clinic but was soon transferred to a UAE hospital and put in an incubator but after four days, her lungs gave up. She represents the story of thousands of children, babies and infants killed by the Israeli war machine.
Already and according to UNICEF, around 13000 children were killed in the war since 7 October. The Gaza Ministry of Health says it can’t give accurate figures of those who have died in the wombs of their mothers because of the extent of daily deaths, however it’s latest death toll figures currently stand at 34,388 martyrs with 77,437 injuries.
The Joudeh family were forced to leave their home in Gaza city and were among the 1.4 million Palestinians assembling in Rafah and awaiting their fate at the Israeli big guns with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising to invade the city.
Dr Asmar is a Jordan-based writer covering Middle East affairs.
