Fergal Keane

A child with a child in her arms. Shada Aboudaka, 17 years old, is feeding her six-month-old sister, Naveen. The baby looks more like a newborn. She struggles to absorb nutrition. She has a hole in her heart. You're sad because you're leaving us and going, Shada tells the infant. Naveen is being evacuated to Jordan for treatment, which isn't available in Gaza.

A child with a child in her arms. Shada Aboudaka, 17 years old, is feeding her six-month-old sister, Naveen. The baby looks more like a newborn. She struggles to absorb nutrition. She has a hole in her heart. You're sad because you're leaving us and going, Shada tells the infant. Naveen is being evacuated to Jordan for treatment, which isn't available in Gaza.

Mothers are having to make heart-wrenching choices. Naveen's mum, Inas, has six children, but four must stay behind.

Mothers are having to make heart-wrenching choices. Naveen's mum, Inas, has six children, but four must stay behind.

Everybody is wrapped up well for the journey. The windows of the buses taking them away are misted from the warmth of the bodies on board. A little boy presses his palms against the glass. Outside, a father waves repeatedly. The 29 children and their guardians were allowed to travel by bus, ambulance and helicopter after first being cleared by Israel.

Everybody is wrapped up well for the journey. The windows of the buses taking them away are misted from the warmth of the bodies on board. A little boy presses his palms against the glass. Outside, a father waves repeatedly. The 29 children and their guardians were allowed to travel by bus, ambulance and helicopter after first being cleared by Israel.

The evacuation was organised by Jordan, whose King Abdullah announced it during a meeting with President Trump in Washington last month. Here at Marka Air Base on the outskirts of Amman, I can see two helicopters approaching. They're the first of a wave coming out of Gaza today with injured and sick children from the war.

The evacuation was organised by Jordan, whose King Abdullah announced it during a meeting with President Trump in Washington last month. Here at Marka Air Base on the outskirts of Amman, I can see two helicopters approaching. They're the first of a wave coming out of Gaza today with injured and sick children from the war.

Right beside me, there are ambulances lined up to take them to hospitals here in Amman. It's the first phase of a complex operation that's been planned for months. First to emerge, blinking into the sunlight, was 11-year-old Abdul Rahman al-Nashash. He walked with crutches. His left leg was amputated when he was caught in Israeli shelling.

Right beside me, there are ambulances lined up to take them to hospitals here in Amman. It's the first phase of a complex operation that's been planned for months. First to emerge, blinking into the sunlight, was 11-year-old Abdul Rahman al-Nashash. He walked with crutches. His left leg was amputated when he was caught in Israeli shelling.

His mum Asma explained that her husband was killed in an airstrike. In Jordan, though, there was hope for her boy.

His mum Asma explained that her husband was killed in an airstrike. In Jordan, though, there was hope for her boy.

We're in an ambulance now, travelling through Amman, and you can hear the driver urging cars there to get out of the way. Behind me, on a stretcher, is eight-year-old Monotala Akel. She's got serious injuries to her legs. She's lying there, still, quiet, in this completely new environment, just come from Gaza. Monotel has now been moved into a private room in this gleaming intensive care unit.

We're in an ambulance now, travelling through Amman, and you can hear the driver urging cars there to get out of the way. Behind me, on a stretcher, is eight-year-old Monotala Akel. She's got serious injuries to her legs. She's lying there, still, quiet, in this completely new environment, just come from Gaza. Monotel has now been moved into a private room in this gleaming intensive care unit.

But there was a voice from home. Dr Mohamed Matar is an anaesthetist at Al Rashid Hospital. He's originally from Gaza. A warm, consoling presence, he told me of the pain he feels for the child victims of war.

But there was a voice from home. Dr Mohamed Matar is an anaesthetist at Al Rashid Hospital. He's originally from Gaza. A warm, consoling presence, he told me of the pain he feels for the child victims of war.

What we saw emerging from the helicopters were wounded, seriously ill children. Nearly all of them had left close family behind. Still, the sight of the Jordanian rescue aircraft in the bright sun, the smiles on several young faces, felt like that rarest of things in this war, a hopeful interlude.

What we saw emerging from the helicopters were wounded, seriously ill children. Nearly all of them had left close family behind. Still, the sight of the Jordanian rescue aircraft in the bright sun, the smiles on several young faces, felt like that rarest of things in this war, a hopeful interlude.

We went to an area in the south... and it is very close to Can Yunis. When we landed, they kept the rotor blades running. We jumped off the helicopter to get out of the way, really, of the Jordanian forces who were delivering the aid. Now, what was taken in this morning, and you can probably hear choppers behind me at the moment...

We went to an area in the south... and it is very close to Can Yunis. When we landed, they kept the rotor blades running. We jumped off the helicopter to get out of the way, really, of the Jordanian forces who were delivering the aid. Now, what was taken in this morning, and you can probably hear choppers behind me at the moment...