After weeks of waiting for permission to leave Gaza, two-year-old Habiba al-Askari has finally arrived in Jordan for critical medical treatment. She is now receiving care at a hospital in Amman, following a complex evacuation process involving high-level negotiations.
Habiba, who suffers from a rare but treatable genetic disorder causing excessive blood clotting, was initially approved for medical treatment abroad. However, Israel later delayed authorization for medical evacuations for over two weeks, according to aid groups. As her condition worsened, she was admitted to intensive care at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital with a lung infection. Her heart stopped twice before being resuscitated by medical staff.
Following a CNN report on her case, Jordan intervened, but Israel repeatedly postponed the evacuation. Jordanian officials worked persistently to secure permission for Habiba, her mother Rana, and her 10-year-old brother Soheib to leave Gaza. Although Jordan requested an airlift to shorten the journey, Israel only permitted a land transfer.
Habiba (center) was medically evacuated from Gaza by the Jordanian military on Monday, in a special mission after Israel had repeatedly delayed her evacuation. Jomana Karadsheh/CNN
On Monday, the family was transported by ambulance to the Kerem Shalom border crossing and handed over to a Jordanian medical team. From there, Habiba was taken to Jordan via the King Hussein Bridge. Upon arrival, a military helicopter—dispatched under the orders of King Abdullah II—transported her to Queen Rania Al Abdullah Hospital for Children in Amman.
The evacuation highlights the severe healthcare crisis in Gaza, where over 12,000 people, including 2,500 children, require urgent medical treatment. International organizations continue to call for greater humanitarian access to ensure life-saving care for critically ill patients like Habiba.
