Young sisters struggle to cope with trauma of Israeli attack that killed 6 family members including parents

By Hosni Nedim

GAZA, Palestine (AA) – Two Palestinian sisters are struggling to overcome the trauma of an Israeli missile strike in the Gaza Strip that killed six of their family members and left them with severe burns and fractures.

The attack, which occurred on July 12 in the Nuseirat refugee camp, left 12-year-old Deema Iyad Aqel and 15-year-old Reema Iyad Aqel with physical and emotional scars that continue to haunt them even over a month later.

The sisters spoke to Anadolu from their hospital beds at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza about the horrifying moments when their lives were upended by the Israeli attack.

Deema said she was getting ready to offer prayers when she heard the sound of an approaching missile. “Within seconds, I found myself under the rubble," she said, explaining her pain from the shocking Israeli attack: "I couldn't move, breathe, or even call for help. The pain was unbearable."

Reema described the chaos that ensued. "Everything turned into a pile of rubble in an instant," she said. "I tried to reach my uncle's house for help, but the pain was too intense."

Both girls spoke of the shock at seeing their family members, including their parents, so badly burned that they were initially unrecognizable.

Deema says her family was killed one after the other, leaving her with only her sister, Reema, and that the entire family was burned as a result of the bombing, with the lowest degree being 75%.

"I couldn't identify my sister Reema, my father, or my mother," Deema recalled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Their faces were so badly burned. Even though they couldn't speak, you could hear their groans of pain."

Reema said that the most difficult moment was when she saw her mother in burns and then she collapsed on the ground, crying and screaming, and calling other family members for help.

- Lack of medical supplies for treatment

The sisters' ordeal highlights the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the health system has essentially collapsed under the weight of Israel's intense bombardment. The shortage of medications and medical equipment for treating burn victims is particularly acute.

The sisters suffered third-degree burns and multiple fractures, requiring extensive medical treatment. However, Gaza's health care system is struggling to provide adequate care for burn victims.

Deema requires skin grafts and surgeries to stabilize fractured bones with platinum rods, but these procedures are currently impossible due to a lack of medical supplies and equipment in Gaza.

The sisters express a desire to receive treatment abroad, where they would be able to access specialized care that is unavailable in Gaza. However, ongoing conflict and border closures make such transfers extremely challenging.

The Israeli onslaught has killed over 40,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 92,400 others since Oct. 7, according to local health authorities.

Over 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

*Writing by Yasin Gungor in Istanbul