A one-year-old Palestinian girl who was evacuated from Gaza due to severe malnutrition has been readmitted to hospital after returning to the territory from Jordan. Siwar Ashour, whose case has been followed by the BBC for months, was brought back to Gaza on 3 December after completing medical care in Amman.
She had spent six months in hospital there as part of a medical evacuation programme organised by the Jordanian government. According to her grandmother, Sahar Ashour, Siwar fell ill just days after returning.
“She began suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting, and her condition keeps deteriorating. The diarrhoea hasn’t stopped,” she told a freelance journalist working for the BBC in Gaza. Since the war began nearly two years ago, Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza independently.
Siwar is currently receiving treatment at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza. Dr Khalil al-Daqran told the BBC she is “receiving the necessary treatment, but her condition remains serious.” He said she is suffering from a gastrointestinal infection. Siwar also has an immune system deficiency, making it difficult for her body to fight bacteria, and struggles to absorb nutrients, which means she depends on specialised infant formula.
Dr al-Daqran said poor sanitation conditions were contributing to the spread of disease. He explained that hospitals across Gaza — many badly damaged by Israeli air strikes and nearby fighting with Hamas before an October ceasefire — were seeing a sharp rise in paediatric cases. The destruction of essential infrastructure has created conditions in which infections spread easily.
“Since the ceasefire was announced, the number of children arriving at Gaza Strip hospitals is three times their capacity,” he said. “The situation at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is no different from other hospitals. There is a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, as well as a major lack of electric generators, which are the lifeline of any hospital.”
The World Health Organization has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “staggering,” saying current aid efforts meet only the most basic survival needs.
Siwar was evacuated to Jordan in June after the BBC reported on her case and raised it directly with Jordanian officials. Jordan’s Minister of Communications, Dr Mohammed al-Momani, told the BBC that Siwar was among 45 children returned to Gaza after completing treatment. Under the evacuation programme, all patients are required to return once medical care is finished.
When asked how people might struggle to understand the return of such a vulnerable child to Gaza under current conditions, Dr al-Momani said: “No patient is sent back before they complete their treatment. The first reason for their return is to allow us to bring in more patients from Gaza. We cannot take everyone at once — we have to do this in batches. So far, we have received 18 batches.
“The second reason is that we do not want to contribute in any way to the displacement of Palestinians from their land. All patients are informed that once treatment ends, they will return so other patients, including children, can be treated.”
Jordan also treats wounded civilians at its field hospital in Gaza and has delivered aid via air drops and road convoys. The country hosts more than two million Palestinian refugees who fled earlier conflicts with Israel, along with around 500,000 refugees from other countries, mostly Syria.
Since March, about 300 sick and injured children, along with 730 parents or guardians, have been transferred to Jordan from a planned total of 2,000 patients. Other regional countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, have treated thousands of civilians from Gaza.
The specialised formula Siwar requires was unavailable or extremely scarce during the conflict. In March, Israel imposed a complete blockade on aid entering Gaza, which was partially lifted after 11 weeks. While aid deliveries have increased since the ceasefire, the UN and humanitarian groups say supplies remain insufficient.
Siwar’s family says they are seeking another medical evacuation due to her worsening condition. Before their return, Jordanian authorities provided them with 12 tins of hypoallergenic Neocate formula. Siwar’s mother, Najwa Ashour, said Israeli officials confiscated most of it — taking nine of the 12 tins.
“They told us it was forbidden to take more than a few cans,” she said. “Even though it’s therapeutic milk and they said treatment was allowed, they still took it.”
She also said clothing provided in Jordan was seized. “They searched us completely. When they saw we were wearing layers of clothes, they told us we had to remove everything until we were left with just one outfit.”
Asked why the formula and clothing were confiscated, the Israeli government said restrictions were imposed for “security considerations.” Officials said only minimal luggage was permitted and that this had been communicated to Jordanian authorities and returning families. Any luggage exceeding those limits was denied entry.
The WHO has urged more countries to accept medical evacuees from Gaza who cannot receive adequate treatment locally. It has also called on Israel to allow patients access to care in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, describing it as the most efficient and cost-effective option. Israel halted such evacuations following the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken into Gaza.
Cogat, the Israeli military body overseeing aid access, said procedures for Gazans travelling to third countries had been significantly eased.
Since returning, Siwar’s family has received Neocate formula in Gaza, along with financial donations raised through online appeals. Jordanian officials in Gaza have also visited the family to offer support.
The Ashours are now attempting to secure a second evacuation for Siwar. Palestinian health authorities have issued a permit, and the process will be handled by the WHO, which manages all evacuation requests from what the UN has described as “a wasteland.”
