NUSERAT, Gaza Strip (AP) — Haneen al-Mabhouh, 34, sat in a wheelchair at her home in Nuserat, central Gaza, mourning the loss of her four daughters, including her 5-month-old baby, who were killed in an Israeli attack on her home last year. Al-Mabhouh also lost a leg in the attack and is awaiting permission to travel abroad for further treatment to regain her mobility.
“I dreamed of walking again, holding a new baby in my arms, and rebuilding my family,” she said, her voice filled with sadness. Currently, she relies on her parents to take care of her basic needs, and she cannot even hold a pen.
Nearby, Yassin Marouf, 23, lay in a tent with his left foot amputated and his right leg severely injured after Israeli shelling in May. His brother was killed in the same attack, and Ma’ruf had difficulty with basic movements. Doctors said his right leg may also need to be amputated unless he receives treatment outside the Palestinian territories.
“If I want to go to the bathroom, I need two or three people to hold me,” he said.
In Gaza, thousands of people face similar challenges. Youssef al-Samri, 16, lost both legs while fetching water near his home after an Israeli airstrike in May. He was displaced to a kindergarten in Gaza City’s Al Tufa neighborhood, relying on his hands to navigate his world and support in a classroom where children played around him.
Fadi al-Balbisi, 12, is learning to walk again using a prosthetic leg after losing his right leg to shelling in April. At Hamad Hospital in Zawaida, he practiced using prosthetic limbs under the guidance of experts, each step a hard-won milestone in regaining his independence.
The World Health Organization estimates that 5,000 to 6,000 people in Gaza have become amputees as a result of the Israel-Hamas war, a quarter of them children. Many face long waits for prosthetics or medical evacuation abroad. Local centers such as the Prosthetic and Polio Center in Gaza City are overwhelmed and have limited supplies to provide prosthetics.
While a critical shipment of prosthetic materials has recently arrived in Gaza, the need remains critical. Patients like al-Mabhouh and Marouf face months-long waits for treatment to prevent further amputation or restore mobility. Even with a ceasefire in place, medical evacuations have been slow to progress, hampered by bureaucratic and logistical obstacles.
During this crisis, the lives of those affected are filled with uncertainty. For Mabhu, Ma’ruf, Samri and Barbisi, every day was a struggle for action, dignity and hope, as they weathered the aftermath of the war with resilience and the meager promise of medical help.
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