For more than five months, HopeNest was locked in a battle not against bombs, but bureaucracy – fighting every day to make the impossible possible: the evacuation of Hanan and Mesk, two little girls from Gaza who lost their mother and their limbs in a brutal airstrike.
It took advocacy that stretched across continents, partnerships forged in urgency, and hope that refused to give up.
Two months after the bombing, we crossed paths with TEAMI, and from that moment, the mission to get Hanan and Mesk out of Gaza became a joint pursuit of healing and justice. What followed was four heart-wrenching rejections from COGAT. Each “no” came with the weight of helplessness, but we persisted – knowing that their lives depended on it.
In January, a rare window opened: the Rafah border was set to reopen for medical evacuations, and Egypt’s Ministry of Health stepped in with a compassionate hand. With their help – and the unwavering support of Dr Hatem and Dr Ramzy – the pieces began to fall into place.
On the day of the evacuation, our team was glued to the phone with Shifaa, Hanan and Mesk’s aunt, who had become their legal guardian after their mother’s death. The World Health Organization had instructed them to be at the European Hospital. But when the ambulance arrived, we hit a new barrier: only two companions were allowed to cross.
Shifaa, torn and trembling, asked what to do. She had three children of her own – Shan (2), Ismail (10), and Omar (12) – and didn’t want to leave anyone behind.
We told her: “Don’t leave your children. Go with all of them. We’re believing for a miracle.”
Halfway through the journey, word came that Omar would have to stay behind. It felt like a punch to the heart. How could we let a 12-year-old boy, already so traumatised, be left at the border? We urged them to keep going, keep believing.
And then – the miracle came.
At Rafah, Egyptian border control approved Omar as a companion. Hanan, Mesk, Shifaa, and all three of her children were allowed to cross together. That moment – after endless paperwork, endless pleading, sleepless nights – was met with happy tears from everyone involved.
Shifaa was leaving her entire family behind in Gaza – her husband, her siblings, her life. But leaving without her own children? That was unthinkable. We knew in our hearts that what happened that day was exactly what was meant to happen. And now, we look back with awe and gratitude.
Today, Hanan and Mesk are being cared for at New Capital Hospital in Cairo, under the skilled and compassionate care of Dr Ramzy. They are safe. They are healing.
But this is just the beginning.
HopeNest is now focused on securing their long-term treatment pathway – one where they can not only survive but thrive, physically and emotionally. They need prosthetics, rehabilitation, education, and a future free from fear.
We are relentlessly working to make this possible. But we cannot do it alone.
To every donor who stood with us – this was your miracle, too. Let’s keep going.
