Burned, amputated: Gaza children bear brunt of brutal Israeli war
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Over 1,000 Palestinian children have had their limbs amputated during the ongoing war on Gaza.
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Five-year-old Palestinian Sila Abu Aqlan sits on her wheelchair as a doctor adjusts the cover on her right amputated leg at the Artificial Limbs and Polio Center in Gaza City, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 (AP)
Ahmed Al-Ghalban, a young child in northern Gaza, is among nearly 1,000 children who lost their limbs in the ongoing war, with children representing over 35% of the victims.
Ahmed not only suffered the amputation of his legs but also the heartbreaking loss of his twin brother, Mohammed, who died in an Israeli missile strike while they were fleeing their neighborhood in northern Gaza.
Al-Ghalban family home targeted
In March, the al-Shaima neighborhood in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, was struck by multiple Israeli attacks, one of which hit the al-Ghalban family's home. Ahmed and his brother, Mohammed, had evacuated their house after it was marked a “red zone” by Israeli forces and were making their way to a safer location.
While traveling in a horse-drawn cart with some belongings, they became victims of the attack. Ahmed recalls, “I was holding my brother’s hand, who had never left me. We were in a horse-drawn cart, heading toward a safer area after our neighbourhood had been bombed. We were carrying some household belongings.”
Ahmed al-Ghalban recounts waking up in the hospital to discover both his legs had been amputated and that he had lost his brother, Mohammed, and his uncle in the Israeli attack.
His tragic experience mirrors that of over 16,000 children martyred and nearly 1,000 others who had their limbs amputated during the ongoing aggression, according to the Ministry of Health.
70% of Gaza burn victims are children: MSF
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that burn injuries in Gaza, caused by ongoing Israeli attacks, lead to prolonged suffering, with many victims suffering burns over up to 40% of their bodies due to bomb explosions and makeshift cooking. The healthcare system's collapse and the siege on Gaza, which blocks essential aid, leave patients enduring intense pain with little relief.
According to the organization, since March 18, following the resumption of Israeli hostilities, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has seen a sharp rise in burn injuries, particularly among children.
100 burn patients daily
In April, MSF's Gaza City clinic treated over 100 burn patients daily. By May 2024, MSF had performed over 1,000 burn-related surgeries at Nasser hospital, with 70% of the patients being children under five. Burns were caused by bomb blasts, boiling water, and fuel used for cooking in makeshift shelters.
MSF cautioned that severe burns demand intricate, long-term treatment, including multiple surgeries, daily wound care, physiotherapy, pain management, psychological support, and a sterile environment to avoid infections.
Israeli blockade life-threatening
However, after 50 days without supply shipments due to the blockade, MSF teams are running low on even basic painkillers, leaving patients without sufficient relief. Additionally, since the war began, only a handful of surgeons in Gaza are capable of handling complex burn care and plastic surgery.
It emphasized that since December 2024, MSF teams in their Gaza City clinic, Deir al-Balah field hospital, and Nasser hospital have provided over 6,518 burn dressings.
However, nearly half of the patients have not returned for follow-up care due to the collapse of services and the near impossibility of reaching health centers.
MSF highlighted that, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than half of Gaza's functioning health facilities are located in areas under evacuation orders, making healthcare nearly inaccessible.
