Medical evacuations from northern Gaza had been suspended for weeks. They were previously conducted by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) until they repeatedly came under fire and, in some cases, staff were taken hostage by Israeli soldiers. More than 8,000 patients were waiting for urgent medical evacuation. Israel had drawn a line across the Gaza Strip, separating the north from the central part. On paper, it was a checkpoint. In reality, it was a death zone.

Any vehicle or person approaching the position without "green light" – explicit permission from the Israeli checkpoint – was immediately shot and killed. The north was cut off, and every person, including the sick and wounded trapped there, had no way out. The WHO asked us if we could attempt to restart medical evacuations to bring patients out of the north together as part of a UN convoy.

And we did. Fadi was our first patient. Fadi was six years old and suffered from cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition where thick mucus clogs the airways and prevents the body from absorbing nutrients from food. Treatment requires a specific enzyme medication and many more calories than a healthy child needs – none of which were available in northern Gaza under siege, terror, and occupation. Two of his brothers had already died from the same disease. By the time we reached him, Fadi had lost more than half of his body weight.

He was almost completely starved. He was so weak that it was unclear if he would even survive the transport. He survived. Today, Fadi is in New York.