Paralyzed Palestinian boy, 7, clings to life in Gaza after losing mother in Israeli airstrik
Yusuf Jamil Awd, a 7-year-old Palestinian boy paralyzed by an Israeli airstrike, was seen in his wheelchair holding a picture at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah on March 23. After losing his mother and suffering severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted, Yusuf remains confined to a wheelchair due to Gaza's collapsed healthcare system.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
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DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
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DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
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DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
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DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
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DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - MARCH 23: A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, is seen in his wheelchair at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla.
A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Yusuf Jamil Awd, who was paralyzed following an Israeli airstrike, was seen in his wheelchair holding a picture at the Bureij Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Palestine on March 23, 2026. While many people have lost their lives or their relatives in the attacks carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip for over two years, Yusuf lost his mother and sustained severe injuries when a neighbor's house was targeted.
Healthcare collapse
Due to the collapse of the healthcare system in the region, he could not receive necessary treatment and was left confined to a wheelchair. The image of Yusuf in his wheelchair holding a photograph captures the devastating consequences of the two-year war on Gaza's civilian population, particularly children.
Family's struggle
Despite the challenging conditions, Yusuf continues his struggle for life under the care of his father Jamil and his sister Hawla. His story mirrors those of countless other children across Gaza who have lost family members, suffered life-altering injuries, and faced limited medical care as the enclave's health infrastructure lies in ruins.
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Gaza war context
Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians, wounding around 172,000 others, and destroying about 90% of civilian infrastructure. A ceasefire took effect in October 2025, but Israel continues daily attacks, killing at least 677 Palestinians since then. The health system remains largely non-functional, with approximately 22,000 wounded and sick individuals needing evacuation for treatment abroad.
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