Dreams shattered: Gaza amputees struggle under blockade and rubble

Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Before Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, 24-year-old Shurouq Khaira was an athlete, training regularly for her track races.

Athletics wasn’t just a hobby for her; it was a core part of her identity. She competed in youth championships, taking a national title in 2016. Her dream was to represent her country, Palestine, on the international stage.

“I wanted the whole world to know that people in Gaza live, dream, strive, and achieve,” she said. “I dreamed of competing in the Olympics.”

The future Shurouq envisioned was shattered on November 19, 2023 – just over a month into a war that is now approaching its three-year anniversary, with Israel killing more than 73,400 Palestinians.

Gaza City was the target of fierce Israeli attacks in those opening weeks of the war, and Shurouq woke up to the sound of shelling targeting her family’s home in the city’s Daraj neighbourhood. One shell hit the house.

Shurouq survived, but her injuries were so severe that doctors were forced to amputate her right leg below the knee. Her father, who had inspired her love for athletics, had both his legs amputated.

Following the shock of the injury, Shurouq’s life turned into a continuous daily struggle to perform the simplest tasks.

Inside the tent her family is forced to live in because of the destruction of their home and Israel’s refusal to allow proper reconstruction in Gaza , nights are particularly difficult. With no light available and the difficulty of using crutches in the dark, she feels stuck, afraid that she will trip and fall on her face.