STORY: War leaves child amputees helpless in Gaza
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Oct. 9, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:17
LOCATION: GAZA, Palestine
CATEGORY: SOCIETY/MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Elia, amputee child in Al-Aqsa hospital in Gaza
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ISLAM YOUNIS, Palestinian woman attacked by Israeli airstrike
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ISLAM YOUNIS, Palestinian woman attacked by Israeli airstrike

STORYLINE:

Since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, over 41,800 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 96,900 injured in the Gaza Strip, with a significant proportion of them being children and women, according to health authorities in Gaza.

The World Health Organization estimates in mid-September that at least 22,500 of these injuries are "life-changing" that require long-term rehabilitation. Among these, severe limb injuries are most prevalent, with amputations numbering between 3,000 and 4,000.
   
Most attempts to save limbs from amputation have failed due to deep wounds, severe infections, and particularly the unusual injuries inflicted by the weapons, Marwan Al Hams, director of field hospitals in Gaza, told Xinhua.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ISLAM YOUNIS, Palestinian woman attacked by Israeli airstrike
"My daughter Elia is 4 years old. She suffered fourth-degree burns from her pelvis to the bottom of her feet. Her right foot was amputated and she urgently needs treatment abroad so that her other foot does not need to be amputated."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ISLAM YOUNIS, Palestinian woman attacked by Israeli airstrike
"Elia is a child like all children. She can play with children her age, interact with them, color, and draw. I usually did not deprive them of anything and provided them with everything at home, such as colours and drawing books. But when we were bombed, our lives turned upside down."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza, Palestine.
(XHTV)