A 10-year-old Palestinian girl who lost her arm during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has arrived in the UK for specialist medical treatment.
According to a report by The Guardian, Mariam Sabbah landed at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday alongside her mother, Fatma Salman, and two brothers. They were greeted by a small crowd carrying gifts, balloons and bouquets.
The family had originally hoped to travel to the US for treatment. However, after the administration of Donald Trump halted visitor visas for Palestinians in August last year, they were left stranded in Egypt.
“We’re happy that we’re here, we never thought we would actually be here in the UK,” said Salman. “They were a bit nervous at the beginning, but now when they feel like everyone is around them, they are happy and excited.”
Mariam’s arm was amputated after a missile struck the family’s home in Deir al-Balah.
She is among more than 11,000 patients evacuated from Gaza, according to the World Health Organization. The UN agency estimates that a further 18,500 patients require urgent medical care that is not available in the territory.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 723 Palestinians have been killed and 1,990 injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire.
The agreement was meant to end a two-year Israeli offensive on Gaza, which left more than 72,000 dead and 172,000 wounded, and destroyed 90% of the civilian infrastructure. The UN estimates reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.
