Islam Al-Qanou gently addressed her newborn son, Abdel Hadi, as she walked back to the makeshift camp for displaced people in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza. “Oh, Abdel Hadi, you arrived in a time of destruction and war,” she reflected, highlighting the dire circumstances of their living situation. “There’s no bed for the boy. We are exposed to the open air, sleeping on the sand.”
This description accurately depicted the harsh reality that awaited her child. In a makeshift area shared with thousands of others, Islam’s family had created a small designated space using wooden supports to hold up blankets and various pieces of cloth, some of which bore the logo of the United Nations Children’s Fund.
In this humble setup, a makeshift crib had been fashioned from a plastic crate suspended by strings, providing a cushion and a pink blanket for the newborn’s comfort. Underneath the crib, thin mattresses lay for Islam to rest on, illustrating the limited resources available to them.
Islam’s husband, Mahmood Al-Qanou, expressed a bittersweet joy about their new arrival amid such chaos. “It was indescribable happiness, especially amidst this sadness and destruction,” he said shortly after their arrival. “We hope this baby heals some of our wounds and suffering.” However, the ongoing conflict in Gaza loomed large, and as Islam fed her newborn son, a sudden explosion erupted nearby, sending black smoke spiraling into the air. This served as a stark reminder that in the Gaza Strip, danger is ever-present. Health officials report that over 41,000 people have died since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, where approximately 1,200 people lost their lives and around 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli sources.
Abdel Hadi Al-Qanou, born on August 15 through a cesarean section at Nasser Hospital, weighed nearly 7 pounds at birth. Yet, not all newborns were as fortunate. Dr. Shereen Allwai, who worked for a decade as an obstetrician-gynecologist at Nasser Hospital, noted, “We cannot provide enough care to pregnant women. The health conditions for mothers are critical and complicated for many reasons. There’s severe malnutrition among pregnant women and a lack of essential medications and supplements, leading to many newborns having low birth weights.”
In Islam’s case, doctors quickly admitted her upon realizing she was suffering from high blood pressure. “We performed the operation with a partial anesthetic to prevent her blood pressure from rising,” Dr. Iyad Al-Dagga recounted shortly after the delivery. “Thank God, the child appears to be in good condition.”
At 43, Islam became a mother for the tenth time with the birth of Abdel Hadi. She expressed hope for a brighter future for her family. “A new happiness is born, and God willing, it will lead to a happier time for us,” she stated, radiating optimism despite the surrounding turmoil. “We are happy. I now have a new baby, who will bring us joy. I believe God will reward us for the losses we have endured, the shelling, the fear, and the displacement. This is my message.”
In this difficult environment, Islam and her family cling to the hope that their new arrival will symbolize resilience and a future filled with love, despite the stark realities of their surroundings.
