‘A death sentence for my son’: Israel plans to deport sick Palestinians back to Gaza, patients and doctors say

Yamen's dream is to become an artist. While living in his hospital room in Jerusalem for the past two years, he's been painting colorful illustrations that remind him of his home in Gaza. Courtesy Al-Najjar family Jerusalem —

Yamen Al-Najjar recalls his past life – the days when he went to school and laughed regularly. Today, the 16-year-old lives with his mother in a cramped 6-square-meter room, just large enough to hold a hospital bed he seldom leaves.

“Life is hard. I am sick and in pain all the time… I feel alone, and I miss home,” he told CNN.

Yamen, who has a bleeding disorder, was medically evacuated from Gaza City with his mother to a Palestinian hospital in occupied East Jerusalem just two days before the October 7 attack in 2023.

His condition is rare, according to his