Conjoined Palestinian Twins Inseparable, Likely to Die

Girls had made it out of Gaza to Saudi Arabia
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 10, 2010 8:34 AM CDT
Conjoined Palestinian Twins Inseparable, Likely to Die
In this photo taken Tuesday, March 30, 2010, Palestinian Yasser Abu Ati, 29, stands next to an incubator with his daughters, conjoined twin girls Rital, right, and Ritaj Abu Ati.   (AP Photo /Eyad Baba)

Saudi Arabia's health minister says conjoined Palestinian twins flown to Riyadh from the Gaza Strip cannot be separated and do not have long to live. The 2-week-old twin girls, joined at the chest, overcame immense obstacles to make it out of the Gaza Strip—including an Israeli blockade, rival Palestinian governments, and a string of national holidays.

Abdullah al-Rabeeah said in a statement today that Rital and Ritaj Abu Ati have a life threatening condition and similar cases in the past have not survived. Tests show the twins suffer from a bacterial chest infection and their hearts, livers and digestive tracks work in tandem. Saudi King Abdullah had agreed to pay for the operation and a special plane was chartered to fly them to Riyadh.

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