Infant Sabrina al-Sakani, who was rescued by Caesarean section on Sunday after her mother was killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza, died on Thursday, the 25th of April, and was buried next to the mother after whom she was named, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
Sabrina was one of 16 children who lost their lives in two airstrikes last weekend in Rafah, targeting the housing complex where they lived which, according to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), targeted Hamas and infrastructure.
Sabrina’s mother was seven and a half months pregnant when her husband, Shukri, and their three-year-old daughter died in the attack on their home.
Sabrina’s mother had sustained serious injuries, but when rescuers arrived at the scene, the child was still alive in her mother’s womb.
Sabrina’s mother was immediately taken to hospital, where doctors performed a Caesarean section, after which the mother also died. Despite the child’s critical condition, there were initial signs of stabilisation, and she was placed in an incubator. According to the doctors, the baby weighed only 1.4 kg and suffered from severe respiratory problems due to the premature birth.
Sabrina’s maternal grandmother, Mirvat al-Sakani, told the BBC that the family had planned to adopt the baby.
Since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the 7th of October Hamas invasion in which 1 200 Israelis were killed and hostages were taken, the Hamas-led Health Ministry reports that more than 34 000 people have been killed in Gaza.
Some 1.4 million people are now gathered in Rafah after being ordered by the IDF to move south for security reasons. Satellite images show two new tent encampments in southern Gaza and Israeli media report that preparations are underway to evacuate civilians from Rafah due to the planned offensive.
The US urges Israel to take a targeted approach rather than a full-scale invasion of Rafah in order to prevent an escalation of the humanitarian crisis.
Also read: VIDEO | Protests against the war in Gaza are growing at US universities
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