Syrian Druze Teen Dies of Cancer in Israel After Receiving Humanitarian Medical Care

Nor, a 16-year-old Druze girl from Syria, passed away at Sheba Medical Center in Israel after a prolonged battle with a rare and aggressive cancer of the lower jaw. She arrived in Israel about ten months earlier, weeks after a deadly attack by the Syrian regime on the Druze community in Suwayda, southern Syria. Initially treated in Syria with some improvement, her cancer later recurred aggressively, prompting her transfer to Sheba under a humanitarian operation called "Brotherly Tribe." Despite receiving an expensive and experimental treatment that initially showed promise, Nor ultimately succumbed to the disease.

Before her death, Nor expressed a simple wish to see the sea in Tel Aviv, which the hospital staff fulfilled by organizing a special day at the beach for her and other Druze Syrian patients and their families. During her time in Israel, Nor became like family to the medical staff. In her final days, she was hospitalized in Sheba's children's hospice, where she was reunited with her two sisters after coordination with security officials, though she did not see her father again.

Following her death, Nor's family requested to bury her in a Druze village in Israel as a gesture of gratitude to the Israeli state and the Druze community that supported her during her illness. Raed Shanan, CEO of the Druze Council in Israel, called her burial a "tragic closure" and thanked Sheba's medical teams for their dedicated care. Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, noted this was the second Druze from Suwayda buried in Israel, emphasizing the ongoing dangers faced by Druze under the Syrian regime and the need for continued humanitarian and medical aid.

Nor's story is part of a broader humanitarian medical initiative launched by Sheba Medical Center following the Suwayda massacre. The project began when radiologist Salim Badr asked Sheba's director, Prof. Yitzhak Kreiss, how they could help the victims. This led to dozens of Druze Syrian children receiving comprehensive medical care in Israel, including housing, food, and treatment. To date, about 15 complex cases have been treated, including children with severe congenital and acquired conditions who could not receive adequate care in Syria. The initiative also involves delivering medical supplies and ongoing treatment for patients unable to be treated locally in Suwayda.