Two-year-old Habiba al-Askari has only days to live because the gangrene she is suffering from, as a result of a genetic disease, is spreading up her arms and legs. Only urgent medical evacuation outside Gaza could save her life, according to the doctors treating her.
The baby's protein C deficiency causes excessive blood clotting and could lead to a slow death. Habiba's disease is treatable but not in Gaza, where institutions and medical supplies are decimated by the war led by Israel in the Palestinian enclave.
Habiba was granted formal permission to leave Gaza, according to the Israeli agency coordinating permits (COGAT) after CNN brought her case to light, and since the beginning of this month, international aid groups have been involved in obtaining Israel's permission.
Jordanian authorities were ready to take the baby to Amman from early this week, and the army was waiting to receive the order to proceed with the evacuation.
But at the last minute, Israeli authorities delayed the mission, as reported by Jordanian authorities to the aforementioned television network, which was received as a blow by her family and doctors as her days are numbered. For now, she remains in Gaza, and her condition worsens by the hour.
"Habiba's life is in danger now," her mother, Rana, tearfully told CNN on Thursday. "I don't understand why they won't let her out to receive medical treatment. What crime did she commit?"
The Israeli agency COGAT has not responded to CNN's calls to provide explanations for the suspension of the evacuation to a hospital in the Jordanian capital.
Habiba is one of at least 2,500 children in Gaza urgently needing medical evacuation, according to the latest figures provided by the UN.
Under the recent ceasefire and hostage release agreement signed between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, Israeli authorities are supposed to increase the number of residents from the Palestinian enclave allowed to leave for medical treatment.
The last evacuation took place on January 16, when only 12 patients were evacuated to European countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, two weeks ago, no new evacuations for health reasons have occurred.
UN data shows that around 12,000 people in Gaza are awaiting evacuation.
"In recent months," COGAT allowed 24 medical evacuations from Gaza to other countries through Israel, according to the latest data provided by this government agency. Two dozen transfers for the 1,075 residents in Gaza in need of urgent medical attention.
Doctors consider amputating one of her legs
Yesterday, Thursday, Habiba was admitted, in pain and with difficulty breathing, to an intensive care unit in Gaza with a suspected lung infection.
Doctors are considering amputating her right leg and assessing if it is already too late to save her arms, which are black due to gangrene, CNN reports. Gangrene can lead to sepsis (an infection that spreads to the bloodstream), increasing the risk of rapid organ failure and death.
A senior Jordanian official said that Amman continues to push for the evacuation request for Habiba with Israeli authorities and is ready to act immediately.