Gaza family of five wounded awaits medical evacuation approval for a year

GAZA — A Palestinian family of five wounded in an Israeli airstrike has waited roughly a year for medical evacuation clearance to receive specialized treatment outside Gaza, the family says. Yasir Ed-Deyb, a former pharmacist, told a news agency that six family members were wounded when a tent in Deir al-Balah was struck during displacement between Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, and that five still require treatment abroad. Ed-Deyb said he sustained a 30 percent hearing loss and foot burns in the bombing, while his wife lost both legs to severe burns and still has shrapnel lodged in her skull. Their 12-year-old son, Mohammed, lost part of his skull and a section of his brain, and their 16-year-old son, Amr, lost one eye and requires reconstructive surgery for his brain and face, according to the father. The family has received four referrals for medical evacuation since the procedure resumed, but none has been activated, Ed-Deyb said, urging international organizations to accelerate evacuations. Khalil Ed-Deqran, a spokesman for al-Shifa Hospital, said more than 21,000 patients and wounded people in Gaza need treatment outside the territory and warned that delays in evacuation procedures could result in permanent disability or death.