{"id":18880,"date":"2024-03-07T06:03:07","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T06:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/?p=18880"},"modified":"2024-03-07T06:22:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T06:22:20","slug":"how-israeli-shelling-of-gaza-turned-one-palestinian-girls-life-into-a-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/2024\/03\/how-israeli-shelling-of-gaza-turned-one-palestinian-girls-life-into-a-nightmare\/","title":{"rendered":"How Israeli shelling of Gaza turned one Palestinian girl\u2019s life into a nightmare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking down to discover her right foot was attached by just a few tattered shreds of skin, 17-year-old Ahed, still in a state of shock, asked the cousin who was carrying her to confirm what she already knew. \u201cIs my leg gone?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

A resident of Gaza City, Ahed is among more than 1,000 children in the Palestinian enclave who have lost one or both of their legs since Israel mounted its retaliation for the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, according to the UN Children\u2019s Fund, UNICEF.<\/p>\n

On average, at least 10 children in Gaza lose one or both legs every day.<\/p>\n

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Gaza officials say many of the 30,500 people killed since Oct. 7 are children. (AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOn Dec. 19, I went to the sixth floor (of our building) to call my father, who has been abroad for six years,\u201d Ahed told Arab News. \u201cI wanted to close the curtain in the kitchen because there was an Israeli tank right outside the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cI closed the curtain, sat on the chair, and crossed my legs \u2014 only to find myself, within a fraction of a second, face down on the floor, unable to move a muscle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tank hit me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freed from the rubble by her mother and sister, Ahed was carried by a cousin to her uncle, a doctor who lives in the same building. \u201cThey placed me on the dining table, where my mom was preparing dough (for bread),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Short of medical equipment, Ahed\u2019s uncle cleaned the wound as best he could with soap and a sponge used for washing dishes, sutured the arteries with thread to stop the bleeding, and performed the amputation with a kitchen knife.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no numbing agent,\u201d said Ahed. \u201cMy anesthetic was the Qur\u2019an. I kept reciting the Quran.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the operations performed on children in Gaza since the conflict began have taken place without anesthetic, according to the World Health Organization, as the healthcare system in the Palestinian enclave has been left crippled by the fighting.<\/p>\n

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Young people who are exposed to explosive violence are more likely to sustain life-changing injuries than adults. (AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To keep the wound as clean as possible, Ahed\u2019s family had to boil and reuse her gauze. This continued for four days, as the Israeli siege on the family\u2019s neighborhood prevented her from reaching Gaza\u2019s main hospital, Al-Shifa, which was a mere five-minute drive away.<\/p>\n

When she was finally admitted to the small Patients\u2019 Friends Association hospital, approximately 1 km from Al-Shifa, Ahed had to endure further surgeries \u2014 again without anesthesia or pain relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cI underwent surgery because nothing my uncle used was sterilized, and there was also a serious fracture in my left leg,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Soldier stand near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Israel, March 4, 2024. REUTERS\/Ammar Awad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many Palestinians have lost limbs that could have been saved under normal circumstances. But owing to a shortage of medical staff, supplies, and fuel to keep hospital generators running, many patients are not seen in time.<\/p>\n

According to the WHO, just 30 percent of Gaza\u2019s medics are still working and 13 out of the enclave\u2019s 36 hospitals remain partially functional. In the south, nine hospitals are operating at three times their intended capacity amid critical shortages of basic supplies and fuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lack of access to medical resources and the siege of the Gaza Strip have caused shortages of medicine and equipment, leading health facilities to resort to amputations to prevent further infections,\u201d Lise Salavert, humanitarian advocacy manager at Handicap International, told Arab News.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren are suffering from intense pain and are prone to more infections due to poor hygiene in shelters. The cold weather and heavy rains in Gaza also expose children with amputations to additional health risks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese children require prostheses for mobility and independence, but the shortage of supplies makes it difficult for them to receive personalized prostheses and necessary training. These children will need continuous support until their growth is complete and a regular change or adjustment of their prosthesis.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the humanitarian aid agency Save the Children, young people who are exposed to explosive violence are more likely to sustain life-changing injuries than adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have weaker necks and torsos, so less force is needed to cause a brain injury,\u201d Jason Lee, Save the Children\u2019s country director for the occupied Palestinian territories, said in a report published earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir skulls are still not fully formed, and their undeveloped muscles offer less protection, so a blast is more likely to tear apart organs in their abdomen, even when there\u2019s no visible damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Children sit in a destroyed car in Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip on February 28, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He added: \u201cThe killing and maiming of children is condemned as a grave violation against children, and perpetrators must be held to account.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, not all wounds are visible. The psychological scars inflicted on children caught up in conflict zones cause lasting damage. Yet professional support for these young people is unlikely to be made available, even once the conflict is over.<\/p>\n

Salavert of Handicap International warned that \u201cuntreated trauma can lead to enduring mental and physical disabilities\u201d and that \u201cthe prevalence of mental and physical disabilities in the Gaza Strip is expected to increase significantly as the conflict continues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conflict has also significantly reduced the capacity of existing diagnosis and rehabilitation centers in Gaza due to extensive damage and destruction of civilian infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elaborating on the mental health toll of the conflict, Salavert added: \u201cSustaining a life-altering injury at a young age, such as undergoing an amputation while wide awake, can have profound and long-lasting mental health impacts on children. These experiences can lead to feelings of shock, fear, and helplessness, causing immediate trauma.<\/p>\n

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A Palestinian girl carries a child through the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza City on March 3, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas movement. (Photo by AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cChildren may experience intense pain and distress during the procedure, which can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. The loss of a limb can also result in feelings of grief, loss, and lack of sense of identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cFurthermore, children may face challenges in adjusting to their new physical capabilities, which can impact their self-esteem and body image. They may also struggle with feelings of isolation and stigma.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahed\u2019s terror was made worse by the fighting that was ongoing around her. While she was recuperating at the Patients\u2019 Friends Association hospital, Israeli forces attacked the district.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was scared of reliving the same experience,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery time I heard the sound of a tank, I told my mother to turn me to the right side, which has sustained significant damage, to protect my left side (in case the Israeli forces) bomb us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeeda Al-Hakim, a specialist counseling psychologist with City University of London, said that after losing an arm or leg, a child experiences \u201cgrief and mourning over the loss of their limb.\u201d<\/p>\n

She told Arab News: \u201cThe initial stages might include confusion, as they may not always understand or fully appreciate the loss of their physical abilities. They might struggle with engaging with some of their previous activities,\u201d which, in response, can cause a range of distressing emotions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey may also grieve for the life that they had before the injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

After losing a limb, Al-Hakim said children also experience \u201cemotional withdrawal because they are trying to cope with the violence \u2014 they can start to withdraw or not show any emotions towards what is happening, or towards other family members.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can see this in some of the imagery when we are looking at what is happening in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also highlighted that a child might experience \u201cpsychosomatic symptoms,\u201d which are \u201cphysical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach aches, chest pains, difficulty breathing, and speech impediments, that usually have no biological markers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emphasizing the importance of having a support network for coping and recovery, Al-Hakim said the loss of family members and care providers further compounds the predicament of Gaza\u2019s children who have sustained life-changing injuries.<\/p>\n

UNICEF estimates at least 17,000 children in the Gaza Strip are unaccompanied or separated from their parents.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the lack of access to medication \u201cincreases the risk of exclusion from communal safe spaces, like shelters, due to stigma or fear of unpredictable behaviors,\u201d said Handicap International\u2019s Salavert.<\/p>\n

The lack of basics such as food, water, shelter and sanitation also means it is impossible for Gaza\u2019s children to recover both mentally and physically.<\/p>\n

Calling for \u201ca long-lasting ceasefire with massive delivery of humanitarian assistance\u201d into Gaza, Salavert said: \u201cAs long as those basic humanitarian needs are not covered and children do not have a feeling of safety, working on mental health issues will be challenging and nearly impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Children stand amid the rubble of a mosque and makeshift shelters that were destroyed in Israeli strikes in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on March 2, 2024, as battles continue between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She warned that \u201cthe impact of these injuries on their future prospects, including education, employment, and overall quality of life, cannot be understated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is crucial for post-war reconstruction efforts to prioritize the needs of these children. Humanitarian aid and support will be essential in addressing these challenges and providing a hopeful future for these children.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the meantime, opportunities to heal and rehabilitate unavailable to the children of Gaza are being provided by aid agencies abroad.<\/p>\n

With the help of the Palestine Children\u2019s Relief Fund, a humanitarian organization providing medical relief to children in Palestine, Ahed is today receiving treatment in the US at Shriners Hospitals for Children.<\/p>\n

SOURCE: ARAB NEWS<\/strong><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking down to discover her right foot was attached by just a few tattered shreds of skin, 17-year-old Ahed, still in a state of shock, asked the cousin who was carrying her to confirm what she already knew. \u201cIs my leg gone?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":18881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[990,1,984,979,194,982,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-0_swnen","category-news","category-humanitarian-crisis","category-world","category-international","category-headline"],"views":50,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18880"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18890,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18880\/revisions\/18890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}