Biden and Trump unite to evacuate Gaza's sick children

The Biden administration, along with support from the Trump White House, has successfully evacuated two Palestinian children with cancer from Gaza to the United States for medical treatment. This week, 17-year-old Nesma and 12-year-old Leen arrived in the U.S. as part of an effort to help children unable to receive necessary care in Gaza due to ongoing conflict. Since the outbreak of war, over 240 Palestinian children with cancer have been evacuated for life-saving treatments. However, the fighting has created challenges, with at least six more children still waiting for evacuation. The process has been complicated, as officials from both administrations have worked to obtain clearances from Israel, Egypt, and other nations to facilitate the evacuations. The effort took inspiration from a successful evacuation of pediatric cancer patients from Ukraine. However, the unique conditions in Gaza made it much more difficult. Many evacuations occurred one child at a time, often in ambulances navigating dangerous routes. Tragically, delays meant that some patients, like 4-year-old Nabil Kiheil, were unable to leave in time and worsened in health. The situation for Palestinian children seeking treatment became dire after the death of Nabil, which prompted officials to push harder for evacuations. Between June and November 2024, several children managed to leave, but restrictions soon increased. In some cases, caregivers were denied visas, raising concerns about ties to Hamas. As infrastructure in Gaza deteriorated, pressures increased from U.S. officials on Israel to improve conditions for evacuees. Following the election of the new administration in November, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the Trump team became involved, advocating for the young patients’ needs. Nesma and Leen’s arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport marks a hopeful moment for further evacuations. The flight was organized by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and supported by Pfizer. Nesma's mother expressed happiness upon their arrival, as the girls headed to the National Institutes of Health for treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.