Gaza and Doha -In a sweltering tent in the ruins of Gaza’s al-Shati refugee camp, seven-month-old Niveen lies on a cushion, wrapped in a faded blanket. Her mother, Enas Abu Daqqa, watches over her anxiously, fearing that the child’s heart condition might worsen at any moment.
Just weeks ago, Niveen was recovering from open-heart surgery in a Jordanian hospital. Now, she’s back in one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a child.
“She sometimes stops breathing and turns blue,” Enas said. “She needs real care. She can’t survive in a tent.”
Niveen was born during the war with a hole in her heart. Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system couldn’t offer the treatment she needed. In early March, during a brief ceasefire, she was one of 29 sick children evacuated to Jordan for care under a programme announced by King Abdullah. The initiative aimed to treat up to 2,000 Palestinian children in Jordanian hospitals.
For Niveen, the surgery was successful. Doctors said she was healing. But the ceasefire didn’t last. Within weeks, Israel resumed its offensive against Hamas, and the war picked up again with full force.
Then, on the night of 12 May, Enas was told she and her daughters would be returning to Gaza the next day. The Jordanian authorities said her baby had completed treatment.
She was stunned.
“We left when there was a ceasefire. How can they send us back in the middle of a war?” she said.
A Return to Danger
Enas isn’t the only parent asking that question.
Nihaya Bassel, also from Gaza, returned around the same time with her one-year-old son, Mohammed, who suffers from asthma and severe food allergies.
She, too, believes the treatment was cut short.
“We’re back to fear, hunger, and death,” she said, holding her frail son close. “He doesn’t eat. He drinks special milk, but I can’t get it here. If he eats the wrong thing, he gets sick immediately.”
The Jordanian government said 17 children were sent back after doctors cleared them. A new group of four was evacuated the following day. Officials said the returns were necessary for “logistical and political reasons” and to make room for other sick children.
“Jordan’s policy is to keep Palestinians on their land and not contribute to displacement,” the foreign ministry told the BBC in a statement. The programme, they added, was never meant to be long-term.
Still, health officials in Gaza disagree.
A spokesperson from the Hamas-run health ministry insisted the children had not completed treatment and accused Jordan of sending them back to “a war zone where their lives are at risk.”
The Journey Back
For the families, the trip home was harrowing.
Nihaya described an 18-hour journey through checkpoints and inspections. She says they were held at the border, insulted, and searched by Israeli security forces. Their belongings, including phones, documents and even baby formula, were taken, she said.
“They took everything even my son’s medical records,” she said, holding back tears.
Enas recounted a similar experience. She said her baby’s medication was also confiscated.
The Israeli army confirmed that cash exceeding allowed limits was seized from Gazans returning from Jordan, citing security concerns. They claimed the money could be “used for terrorism” and said it was being held pending an investigation. No explanation was given for the confiscation of medical supplies or personal items.
A Fragile Hope
The families don’t blame Jordan’s doctors. Both women praised the care their children received while abroad.
“They treated my son well,” said Nihaya. “I was so happy to see him finally doing better.”
But both mothers fear that the gains made in Jordan will be lost now that they’re back in a place with little medicine, no stable shelter, and the constant threat of airstrikes.
“Why bring us back just to undo everything?” Nihaya asked.
Their return comes as Gaza faces a deepening humanitarian crisis. The territory has been under a strict blockade for 11 weeks. Israel says it is targeting Hamas fighters and trying to force the release of hostages. But aid groups warn civilians are paying the highest price.
The UN has said that famine is a real risk. On Monday, under US pressure, Israel agreed to allow a limited number of aid trucks into Gaza. But with only five lorries crossing that day, the UN called the move “a drop in the ocean.”
“I Don’t Want My Son to Die”
Now back in Gaza, both mothers are doing what they can with almost nothing.
Enas spends her days fanning her baby, hoping to keep her cool and calm. The family sleeps on thin mattresses in a makeshift tent, surrounded by rubble and fear.
“My daughter didn’t finish her treatment,” she said plainly. “And now she’s back in this. I’m terrified she won’t survive.”
Nihaya, cooking over an open fire while trying to keep her toddler from falling in, echoed the same dread.
“I got my son to a point where I felt joy again,” she said, tears running down her cheeks. “Now they’ve thrown us back into all of this. I don’t want my son to die.”
