Feature: Gaza Amputees Find Strength Amid Loss and War

Xinhua delves deeper into life in Gaza after war. It showcases an example of determination and hope in the war-torn city.

In Gaza City’s al-Daraj neighborhood, once vibrant streets now lie in ruins. Behind a small stall selling tea and coffee, 41-year-old Ramez Al-Issi, a former football defender for Al-Hilal Sports Club, leans on a metal crutch, a constant reminder of the leg he lost to shrapnel last January.

“Football was my life,” Al-Issi told Xinhua. “When I played defense, strikers used to say they’d never score if I was on the field.”

That life changed forever on Jan. 19, 2024, when a shell exploded nearby as he returned home with groceries. His left leg was shattered, and doctors had no choice but to amputate it.

“I thank God it wasn’t worse,” he said quietly. “But I lay on the floor of Al-Shifa Hospital for four days, no beds, no equipment. Maybe my leg could have been saved if there had been proper care.”

Returning home was another battle. “I fell into depression and wished I had died,” he admitted. “But I thought of my children, who would care for them if I gave up?”

Now, though his old football field lies in a war zone, Al-Issi clings to hope. “I dream of coaching again. My son Karim is a great player. Maybe he’ll continue what I started,” he said. “My leg is gone, but experience cannot be amputated.”

According to local health authorities, more than 5,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including around 700 children, have undergone amputations since October 2023.

In Deir al-Balah, 9-year-old Rateb Aqleq is among them. An airstrike took his parents, brother, and right leg. For months, he hobbled on a makeshift leg crafted from a broken water pipe tied with ropes.

“I made it so I could move, to visit my mother’s grave and play with my friends,” he told Xinhua. “But it hurt all the time.”

Things improved when Aqleq received a prosthetic limb from Sheikh Hamad Rehabilitation Hospital. “It felt like being born again,” he said, smiling. “Now I can walk and play football again, even if I’m slower than before.”

At the Gaza Municipality’s Prosthetics Center, engineer Mohammed Issa said demand has more than doubled. “Before the war, we helped about 2,000 patients a year. Now, it’s over 5,000,” he said. “We face shortages of materials and often recycle old parts to meet urgent needs.”

Bassam Nawfal, head of Gaza’s Rehabilitation Department, noted that more than 60 percent of amputees still lack treatment or prosthetic limbs. Power cuts, fuel shortages, and damaged hospitals make even basic care difficult.

At Sheikh Hamad Hospital, which is funded by Qatar, staff continue to work under severe strain. “We’ve treated over 7,000 amputees, including 5,000 since the war began,” said Attia al-Wadiya, the hospital’s public relations director. “Some parts of the facility are damaged, roads are unsafe, and many patients suffer malnutrition, which slows recovery.”

Despite the hardship, resilience endures. Young Aqleq dreams of giving back. “I train every day,” he said, his voice steady. “When I grow up, I want to become a prosthetics technician, to help children, just like others helped me.”