First War-Injured Gazan Child Arrives in UK for Life-Changing Treatment

A 15-year-old Palestinian boy, Majid Shaghnobi, has become the first war-injured child from Gaza to arrive in the United Kingdom for specialist medical treatment, nearly two years into the ongoing clash that has left an uncountable number of children dead or wounded.

Palestinian Boy in UK for Treatment

Majid landed at London’s Heathrow Airport from Cairo, accompanied by his mother, brother, and younger sister. He was injured in February last year when an Israeli tank shell exploded near him while he was collecting humanitarian aid in the Kuwaiti area of northern Gaza. The blast shattered his jaw and severely wounded his leg. “They thought I was dead,” adding, “I had to move my hand to show them I was alive.” 

Doctors in Gaza saved his life and stabilised his condition before he was transferred to Egypt in early 2024. With Israel’s permission, he has now been brought to London for reconstructive facial surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where a volunteer team of specialists will work to restore his ability to eat, speak, and express emotions.

“Hopefully, he’ll be able to feed himself, speak, and have better facial expressions,” said lead surgeon Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani, a pediatric neurosurgeon. “It won’t be completely normal, but it will make a big impact on his life and future.”

Majid’s treatment is part of Project Pure Hope, a volunteer-led initiative launched in November 2023 to bring injured Gazan children to the UK for care. The effort is funded entirely by private donations and involves British medical professionals offering their services for free.

The UK has faced criticism for lagging behind other nations like the US, Belgium, and Italy in accepting war-wounded Palestinian children for treatment.

Majid’s arrival comes shortly after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged to evacuate more severely injured children from Gaza, although the government has yet to outline specific details of the plan. Project Pure Hope hopes that Majid is the first of many to receive care. “It’s our collective moral responsibility,” said Prof Jeelani. (With BBC Inputs)

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