A 12-year-old Palestinian girl has undergone a vital brain operation in Jordan after surviving an Israeli bombing near her home in Gaza, highlighting the severe medical crisis in the besieged territory.
A long wait for life-saving care
Maryam is one of only a few hundred patients permitted by Israeli authorities to leave the Gaza Strip for critical medical treatment since the October 2025 agreement between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending hostilities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified nearly 16,000 medical cases needing urgent critical care outside Gaza, yet WHO data shows just 217 patients left between 13 October and 26 November 2025. Israel's COGAT stated a further 72 patients and caregivers departed for Jordan after that period.
For Maryam, the journey to surgery took almost half a year. After surviving the bombing and an initial craniectomy – the removal of her fractured skull – she faced a perilous wait. Without the operation, her brain was left unprotected, meaning any stumble could cause irreversible neurological damage, a risk magnified by her living conditions in Gaza.
The catastrophic toll on children's health
The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), which funded Maryam's care, reports witnessing the catastrophic toll of the conflict on children. "Thousands have been orphaned, maimed or left with lifelong trauma," they state. "Entire hospitals and health centres have been destroyed leaving an entire population of children without access to even the most basic medical care."
While in her Amman hospital bed, Maryam smiled during a call with her father, who remains in Gaza amid severe flooding. Her case gained international attention after American children's educator "Ms Rachel" (Rachel Griffin Accurso) highlighted the bullying Maryam faced due to her cranial injury.
Barriers to medical aid and evacuation
Humanitarian groups face significant challenges. Two British surgeons were recently refused entry to Gaza by Israeli authorities. Dr Victoria Rose of IDEALS charity told Sky News that WHO calculated only 47% of emergency medical teams were granted entry in 2025, while hundreds of local Gaza doctors have been detained by the IDF.
Israeli authorities insist via X they are facilitating a humanitarian-medical response, including establishing field hospitals, and blame a lack of coordination by organisations. This claim is contested by multiple aid groups on the ground.
Maryam's family knows her specialised care is a rare fortune. They also know that once she recovers, she will return to Gaza and an uncertain future, leaving behind a long queue of ill and wounded people still desperately waiting for help.
