Gaza_Near a fragile fabric tent that barely shields against the biting winter cold, three-year-old Jihad Mahmoud sits on the cold sand, playing with a friend. Using his hands to push a ball, he struggles to adapt to life without his legs, which were amputated after an Israeli air strike hit what was supposed to be a “safe zone” in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza.
Once an active, lively child who loved playing with his family, Jihad now faces the heartbreaking challenge of restricted mobility. The air strike, which occurred over four months ago, not only took both his legs but also three fingers on his left hand.
Dragging the remains of his legs and relying heavily on his hands, Jihad manages to move around, while his family holds onto the hope that prosthetics might one day help him regain some sense of normalcy.
Yet, despite his devastating injuries, Jihad’s joyful spirit remains unbroken. His laughter often fills the air, especially when his mother plays with him, offering a glimpse of resilience amid profound loss.
As of September 2024, over 22,000 Palestinians have suffered life-altering injuries, according to Sigrid Kaag, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza. Among them, approximately 4,000 have undergone amputations, a result of what Gaza’s Health Ministry describes as Israel’s genocidal war.
In October 2024, Lisa Doughten from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that Gaza has “the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history,” with an average of ten children losing one or both legs daily, according to UNRWA data.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called the situation “a pandemic of disabilities,” worsened by the destruction of Gaza’s only prosthetic and rehabilitation centers—Hamad Rehabilitation Hospital and the Gaza Prosthetic Centre—during Israeli air strikes, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
A Mother’s Nightmare
Mai Al-Shaer’s life changed forever after an Israeli air strike hit Gaza’s so-called “safe zone” past midnight. Initially thinking it was a gas cylinder explosion, she soon realized the extent of the devastation. Mai found her children, Jihad and one-year-old Ahmed, buried in sand and pulled them out in the darkness, unaware of Jihad’s severe injuries.
The strike killed two of her brothers, her pregnant sister-in-law, and injured both her parents. Mai’s husband lost his left foot
Mai Mahmoud was devastated when she saw her three-year-old son, Jihad, for the first time after an Israeli airstrike—missing both legs and several fingers. Once a joyful and active child, Jihad’s life has been irrevocably changed. Now, Mai must care for him alone, as her husband has been hospitalized for months. Living in a flimsy tent with no insulation from the harsh winter cold or searing summer heat, the family struggles with a lack of food, clean water, clothing, and blankets. Jihad’s injuries require constant care to prevent infections, especially as the cold and contaminated sand worsen his condition.
Like thousands of displaced Palestinian families, Mai’s life was upended after Israeli airstrikes destroyed their home and forced them south. Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has claimed over 46,000 lives, mostly women and children, despite international calls for a ceasefire. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders for war crimes, while the International Court of Justice continues to review a genocide case against Israel.
