The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip extinguished the light of sight in young Baraa, making him one of thousands of victims who lost this blessing due to the relentless bombardment. He can now only move with his mother, his open eyes betraying the darkness that dwells within them.
This loss extends to those around him who suffer from his condition. Reintegrating the injured into a life shrouded in darkness has become a heavy burden on both families and society. Baraa’s mother bears an indescribable pain; her child, who once saw the light, now lives in inescapable darkness. She strives to teach him anew how to navigate a world that is no longer visible to him, but each step on this path feels heavier than the last.
Complete retinal damage is the medical diagnosis, but she hasn’t lost hope that her son will receive the treatment he deserves, like any other child. Reporter Nour Khaled stated in her report that vision loss in Gaza is compounded by an exceptional reality, where obstacles to treatment are intertwined with limited resources and the complexities of traveling abroad.
She added that the hope of regaining sight diminishes daily due to delays in patients leaving Gaza and the lack of medication. This is a deeply tragic humanitarian situation for those injured within the besieged Gaza Strip. One patient said that the initial medical diagnosis gave him a glimmer of hope in both eyes, but this hope dwindled over time until it became a thin thread.
The delay in his leaving Gaza for treatment and the lack of medication led to the complete loss of his right eye, leaving him with only the remaining sight in his left. The report also documented the suffering of medical staff working in extremely scarce conditions, as hospitals suffer from a severe shortage of surgical instruments, medical equipment, and basic supplies. One doctor explained that providing surgical sutures and lenses has become a difficult task under the imposed siege, which limits the ability of medical teams to provide the necessary care to hundreds of people with vision problems.
Losing one’s sight represents a radical shift in life, but in Gaza, it takes on a complex character, combining physical trauma, limited access to treatment, and the weight of the blockade, as the report explained. Treatment options remain limited, subject to lengthy waiting periods and countless opportunities, while mothers continue to struggle with a reality imposed by a war that has spared neither young nor old.
In mid-April, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced that only about 700 patients had been able to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment abroad since the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing on February 2nd. Meanwhile, more than 18,000 patients and wounded individuals are still awaiting medical evacuation amidst Israeli restrictions.
