Deir el-Balah – In the ICU at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, a little boy named Ahmad Ibrahim Shabat gazes at his uncle’s face with pleading eyes. He asks for juice, and his uncle carefully complies, knowing that this is one of the few words Ahmad has spoken since losing his legs in an Israeli air attack.
Ahmad’s uncle, Ibrahim Abu Amsheh, explains that Ahmad is not fully aware of the severity of his injuries and keeps asking to go for a walk outside. He is in a lot of pain, but the hospital only has basic pain relief medication, which is inadequate for someone who has lost both legs.
Ahmad is one of the first victims of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. His entire family was killed in the attack on their home, leaving only him and his two-year-old brother, Mahmoud, as survivors.
Following the attack, Ahmad was relocated multiple times, seeking safety in different schools and hospitals. However, tragedy struck again on November 13 when Ahmad and his uncle Saleh were caught in another bombing. Saleh did not survive, and Ahmad lost his legs.
Ahmad underwent a three-hour operation at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where doctors explained the challenges he faces in his recovery. They hope that he can receive the necessary care and resources for prosthetics outside of Gaza, as the region lacks the necessary resources.
Ibrahim, Ahmad’s uncle, who has pledged to raise Ahmad as his own son, hopes for a better future for the boy. He wants Ahmad to have access to prosthetics so that he can live a life as normal as possible and recover from the trauma he has endured as a result of the conflict.