In Gaza, childhood is stolen by war, leaving thousands of children to navigate life with missing limbs. Among them is Shahd Tafesh, who lost her leg when an Israeli missile struck the Holy Family School, where her family had sought refuge. But the greatest loss was her mother, killed in the same attack. "I’d rather lose my leg than lose my mother," she whispers, her voice trembling with grief. Her dreams of running, playing, and simply being a child have been replaced by crutches and unbearable sorrow.

Like Shahd, Islam Al-Ferani’s life was forever altered when an Israeli airstrike buried him under rubble for hours, leaving him with an amputated leg. His once-simple joys—running, playing football, swimming—now feel out of reach. "Where is my leg, Mama?" he asked, only to hear the devastating truth: "It’s gone, my son… taken by the Israelis." His mother’s voice breaks under the weight of her pain, knowing that her child’s future has been forever changed.

The crisis of amputations in Gaza is staggering. Over 11,000 people have lost limbs due to Israeli airstrikes, including 4,000 children. With medical supplies scarce under siege, these young survivors are left without prosthetic limbs or rehabilitation, forced to endure unimaginable hardships. Each missing limb is a reminder of a stolen childhood, a future compromised, and a world that continues to turn a blind eye to their suffering.

As the war rages on, Gaza’s children are left to dream of the impossible—an end to their suffering, a return to normalcy, and the chance to walk, run, and live without pain. Their voices echo through the rubble, pleading for justice, for hope, and for a world that refuses to forget them.