Weeks after being attacked by an Israeli military dog, Palestinian mother Um Hassan continues to suffer both physical and psychological pain. Living in Khan Younis with her three children, her life was shattered when Israeli artillery destroyed her home on October 24. During the assault on Al-Manara, 13 members of the Al-Farra family, mostly children, were killed. Um Hassan recalls being trapped with her family while the Israeli forces shelled their home.

As they took cover in the bathroom, an Israeli dog with a camera entered the house. The dog bit her 17-year-old sister before attacking Um Hassan, severely injuring her thigh. “I was nine months pregnant. The dog tore my flesh and dragged me, leaving me bleeding,” she recalls.

Her family tried to fend off the dog, but it held on until soldiers arrived, and Um Hassan was left in shock. Doctors later revealed an 8-centimeter-deep wound. Israeli soldiers took control of the house and continued artillery bombardments, forcing Um Hassan and the children into one room while the men were detained.

After seven hours, the soldiers withdrew, taking her husband and another man. Once safe, her family rushed her to Nasser Hospital. On the way, she witnessed bodies in the streets and rubble. Doctors diagnosed her with severe preeclampsia, and, due to the blockade, she was transferred to Mubarak Hospital for emergency surgery. She lost her baby and had her leg treated in the same room.

Um Hassan spent a week in intensive care, and on November 4, her husband was released after 10 days of detention. Despite surviving the attack, Um Hassan still suffers from severe pain and ongoing psychological trauma, particularly in her children, especially her daughter Sham.