Palestinian man's joy as first child born after 12-year wait, shattered by Gaza war

A Palestinian man has welcomed his first child after a 12-year wait. The baby was born in a displacement camp in the Gaza Strip.

Ahmed Naeem’s wife underwent IVF treatment in Egypt before the war, and now the couple face the task of surviving and providing for the child they fought so hard to bring into the world.

Ahmed and his family were displaced from Beit Hanoun in the northern part of the Strip and now live in a tent in the southern city of Rafah.

“After attempts that lasted 12 years, God honoured me with my first child amidst suffering and displacement, making the joy incomplete and mixed with pain and sorrow; due to my inability to provide for his needs, because of the Israeli war and the blockade imposed on the Strip,” Ahmed says.

With tears filling his eyes, he adds: “I am unable to do anything for my child, and I only have five shekels [about $1.4] in my pocket, so how will I buy his essential and necessary supplies and needs?”

Naeem is worried about the ongoing violence in Gaza. Israeli air strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians in recent weeks, including children.

He hopes he and his family will be able to return to their home and rebuild their lives in Beit Hanoun.

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