A six-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza has required more than 20 surgical procedures to manage persistent infections following an airstrike that injured her late last month.
Raseel al-Balawi was struck in late July when witnesses say a projectile from an Israeli helicopter hit her tent in the al-Mawasi displacement camp. Her wounds have since necessitated frequent operations as medical teams struggle to control recurring infections in the devastated territory.
Israel’s military stated it has no records of the specific incident but expressed regret over any civilian harm. The account of Raseel’s ordeal was documented by BBC Eye Investigations, which spent the summer in Gaza observing the severe difficulties doctors face amid a faltering ceasefire and ongoing bombardment.
The BBC World Service has also been filming across the region to highlight how children are surviving amidst the near-total collapse of the infrastructure they depend on for basic care. A full documentary on these challenges is available on BBC iPlayer.
Does anyone actually read these reports, or is it just more noise? We need actionable solutions, not just sadness.
Hearing about helicopter strikes on displacement tents while adults discuss ‘regret’ makes my blood boil.
Medical infrastructure in Gaza is completely collapsed. Infections killing children seems like an acceptable cost to some.
Israel claims no record of the incident, yet the BBC has documented this extensively. The disconnect is terrifying.
20 surgeries for a six-year-old. How is the world allowing this to continue without immediate intervention?