May 9, 2025

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) announces the arrival of 5-year-old Ismail to Canada to receive life-saving medical care.

Ismail was previously evacuated from Gaza to Egypt with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), and is now in Canada. He suffers from multiple serious congenital health conditions, including severe kidney damage and complications from a previously treated digestive defect. These conditions require advanced surgical and ongoing specialized care—treatment that has been impossible to access in Gaza due the ongoing blockade, and the dire humanitarian crisis where the collapsed healthcare system has left injured and ill children untreated and at risk of further deterioration. 

In Canada, Ismail will receive the high-level medical care he urgently needs and deserves, supported by multidisciplinary teams and psychological specialists organized with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM),

Vivian Khalaf, Chairwoman of the Board at PCRF said: “We are incredibly grateful to our partners who are stepping forward to support this life-saving treatment for Ismail. Every successful mission is the result of extraordinary coordination and compassion—and each one is a symbol of hope for Gaza’s ill and injured children. Ismail’s case reflects the dire reality faced by so many young patients in Gaza, but also what is possible when the international community refuses to turn away. This is not just a medical mission—it’s a commitment to humanity.”

Since October 2023, PCRF has coordinated the evacuation of dozens of critically injured and ill Palestinian children from Gaza to receive treatment abroad—in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa—while continuing to deliver medical missions and humanitarian aid inside Gaza.

Tareq Hailat, Director of Global Patient Affairs at PCRF added: “Gaza’s healthcare system is operating far beyond collapse, with children suffering from complex conditions that require specialized care—care that is simply no longer available. At PCRF, we identify the most urgent cases and work tirelessly to coordinate with international medical teams, ensuring continuity of care from initial assessment to recovery. This evacuation is a reflection of the urgent need for a growing global network of medical solidarity to reach children trapped in crisis.”

PCRF remains committed to ensuring that children in Gaza receive the urgent care and support they need, wherever it is available.