Nibal Al-Hassi Struggles to Care for Her Daughter After Losing Both Hands in the Gaza War
After losing both hands in an Israeli artillery attack, 25-year-old Palestinian mother Nibal Al-Hassi is struggling to care for her two-year-old daughter and regain her independence. Her story highlights the lasting impact of severe war injuries and the urgent need for prosthetic limbs, rehabilitation, and medical care for thousands of amputees in Gaza.
Key Highlights of this Report
- •Life-changing injury: 25-year-old Nibal Al-Hassi lost both hands below the elbows after being struck by an Israeli artillery shell while holding her daughter.
- •A mother’s daily struggle: She now struggles with basic tasks such as feeding, dressing, and caring for her two-year-old daughter.
- •Dreams interrupted: Her injuries prevented her from completing her education and pursuing her professional ambitions.
- •Thousands living with amputations: Palestinian figures cited in the report indicate more than 4,800 amputation cases, including children.
- •Limited rehabilitation options: Shortages of medical supplies and limited prosthetic services have made recovery more difficult.
- •Waiting for advanced prosthetics: Al-Hassi hopes to receive prosthetic limbs that could restore greater independence.
- •A wider humanitarian story: Her experience reflects the long-term challenges faced by Palestinians living with severe, life-changing injuries after the war.
Palestine24 – Khan Younis
Since losing both of her hands in an Israeli attack on her home last year, 25-year-old Palestinian woman Nibal Al-Hassi has struggled to care for her young daughter amid harsh living conditions and a severe lack of basic necessities in the Gaza Strip.
Sitting with her daughter on the ruins of her destroyed home in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Al-Hassi tries to play with her child while coping with the sense of helplessness that has accompanied her since her injury.
On October 7, 2024, while her family was being displaced from northern Gaza to Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, Al-Hassi was struck by an Israeli artillery shell while holding her daughter in her arms. Both of her hands were amputated below the elbows, and she suffered severe injuries to her body and liver. Her daughter survived.
Al-Hassi describes her life after the injury as being like “a prison,” saying the loss of her hands deprived her of the simplest aspects of daily life and shattered her dreams of completing her education and pursuing a career.
She is among more than 4,800 people who have undergone amputations as a result of the war, 18% of them children, according to official Palestinian figures. The war left around 71,000 Palestinians dead and more than 171,000 injured, most of them women and children, before ceasefire agreements took effect in October.
Trying to Reclaim Motherhood
Despite her physical disability, Al-Hassi is trying to reclaim as much of her role as a mother as possible, caring for her two-year-old daughter within the limits of what she is physically able to do.
She lives with her daughter and several family members in their destroyed home, overlooking piles of rubble left by intensive bombardment.
Sitting on a mattress on the floor, Al-Hassi tries to comb her daughter’s hair and bring a smile to her face. The little girl smiles when she sees herself in the mirror and kisses what remains of her mother’s arms as an expression of affection.
“Losing my hands has deprived me of the ability to care for my daughter,” Al-Hassi says. “I just wish I could feed her and dress her like any other mother.”
“I Feel as Though I Am in Prison”
Al-Hassi says losing her hands has taken away her independence.
“To have no hands means being deprived of your freedom, as though you were in prison. The feeling of helplessness is extremely difficult,” she says.
She explains that her injury prevented her from completing her education and pursuing her professional ambitions.
Her hope now is to receive advanced prosthetic limbs that would allow her to perform basic daily tasks independently and regain part of the maternal role she has lost.
Suffering Continues Despite the Ceasefire
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the suffering of people injured during the war continues amid shortages of medicines and medical supplies, restrictions on the entry of materials needed to manufacture prosthetic limbs, and obstacles preventing some patients from traveling abroad for treatment.
According to World Health Organization data, 1,092 patients in Gaza died while awaiting medical evacuation between July 2024 and November 2025.
Prosthetic limb manufacturing centers are also operating at limited capacity after being damaged during the war, further increasing the difficulties faced by amputees and limiting their opportunities to regain independence and resume their daily lives.
A Story Shared by Thousands
Nibal Al-Hassi’s story is not an isolated one. It reflects the experiences of thousands of Palestinian mothers whose lives and ability to care for their children have been profoundly altered by war and life-changing injuries.
For Al-Hassi, the hope of receiving prosthetic limbs represents more than medical treatment. It is a chance to regain independence, care for her daughter, and reclaim some of the ordinary moments of motherhood that her injuries took away.
