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STORY: These triplets in Jerusalem are video calling with their mother, who is in Gaza.It’s the only way they can see each other.They haven’t been physically together since shortly after the girls’ birth in August 2023... when their mother, 26-year-old Hanan al-Bayouk, traveled from Gaza to Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem for a high-risk birth. Her triplets – Najwa, Nour and Najmah – were born prematurely and underweight, and had to stay in intensive care.Israel's restrictions on the movement of Palestinians meant al-Bayouk – in fear of falling foul of the law – returned to Gaza while her babies were still in intensive care.By the time they were ready to go home, war had broken out and she got stuck. Doctors and nurses call al-Bayouk via WhatsApp, but at times she is unable to get internet in Gaza.When they do get a hold of her, they repeat “Mama, mama” to encourage the girls to focus on her small image on the phone.Where al-Bayouk's triplets are being cared for is worlds away from conditions for children in Gaza, which has been blockaded and pounded by Israeli forces since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.The director of the neonatal intensive care department at Al-Makassed Hospital, Hatem Khammash, says the babies are doing well. “We are happy with their development, the only thing that makes us sad is that they are far away from their mother,” he says.