Gaza girl’s burn treatment threatened by dispute over medical charity supplies
Doctors Without Borders says Israeli import restrictions have left its Gaza clinic without materials to replace facial masks needed by children with severe burns.
By John Ferrari ·
Six-year-old Masa Yassin will soon outgrow the clear plastic mask that helps treat severe burns on her face, but the medical charity providing her care says it cannot obtain materials to replace it. Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, operates the only clinic in Gaza capable of making her a new mask and says Israel has barred it from importing the necessary plastic.
Masa was burned in July when an explosion involving a nearby cooking gas tank set her family’s tent alight. Her injuries extend across the side of her face, behind an ear, over her scalp and down her neck. The custom 3D-printed mask helps control swelling and scarring. Her mother, Islam Yassin, fears that without it, Masa will develop more scar tissue and need surgery unavailable in Gaza.
The shortage stems from a dispute over Israeli registration requirements for foreign aid organizations. Since the end of February, Israel has prevented MSF from bringing international staff or supplies into Gaza after the charity refused to provide the names of all its local employees. MSF says it needs assurances about their safety before sharing such information, citing the deaths of hundreds of medical workers during the war.
COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing aid to Gaza, confirmed that MSF imports had been barred because the organization failed to meet requirements, including providing staff lists. It said those requirements were needed to prevent terrorist organizations from misusing humanitarian assistance. COGAT said other aid groups had complied and were operating freely, and that it had approved more than 24,000 tons of medical supplies for entry into Gaza. It rejected allegations of blocking medical aid as false claims spread by Hamas.
Israel adopted the regulations after restricting UNRWA, the UN agency serving Palestinian refugees and their descendants, in 2025. Israel accused agency employees of involvement in the October 7, 2023, attack and alleged Hamas infiltration, accusations UNRWA denies. MSF says the registration demands endanger its employees and leave vulnerable patients bearing the consequences of the restrictions.
At the Gaza City clinic, technicians measured Masa’s face to determine whether adjustments could extend the use of her existing mask. Mohammed Al-Qatrawi, who supervises physiotherapy for MSF France in Gaza, said supplies of plastic sheets and printer filament had run out. As Masa grows, a poorly fitting mask could become painful and less effective, he said.
The clinic is treating 70 people for facial burns, including 50 children, according to Al-Qatrawi. Twenty patients urgently need masks. He warned that stopping the service could lead to scar complications affecting speech, eating, drinking, eyesight and facial movement. Children could also develop more severe deformities and face social exclusion.
More than a year after a ceasefire stopped major fighting, Gaza’s population of over two million Palestinians remains confined to roughly a third of the territory, largely sheltering in tents and damaged buildings. Israeli forces control entry and exit. Israel says it permits all necessary medical supplies, while aid organizations say restrictions obstruct basic care. Outside her family’s tent in Gaza City, Masa still plays marbles in the dirt with her twin and younger sisters, her smile visible through the transparent mask.
