Three-year-old Gaza boy battles rare illness amid blockade and medical shortages

GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE - MAY 22: Hassan Barbah, a three-year-old Palestinian boy from Khan Younis, is clinging to life under Israel’s tightened blockade on Gaza, which has been in place since March 2. He is suffering from multiple serious health conditions, including liver enlargement, Fanconi-Bickel syndrome, hyperuricemia, hypoglycemia, and acute malnutrition. Weighing just 7 kilograms—about half the average weight for his age—he is receiving limited treatment at Nasser Hospital. His swollen abdomen serves as a visible sign of his deteriorating condition. Two of Hassan’s siblings previously died from similar complications. Dr. Ahmed al-Ferra, head of the hospital’s pediatrics department stressed that Gaza’s medical infrastructure cannot provide the specialized care Hassan needs, and appealed for urgent medical evacuation. Dr. Ferra noted that roughly 15,000 children in Gaza are currently awaiting permits to leave for life-saving treatment. He said this is a form of indirect death, referring to the repeated denials of evacuation that often result in preventable fatalities. Hassan’s mother, Amine Barbah—who lost her husband a month ago—is caring for him at the hospital while also looking after her other three children in a tent in the al-Mawasi area. She said she has struggled to find lactose-free milk and other nutritional necessities such as fruits, meat, and fish. She said that my child is dying slowly. (Footage by Doaa Albaz /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)