Seven months after an Israeli airstrike destroyed her home, the sound of that explosion still resonates in Susan’s ear, a haunting echo that has left her with agonising pain, hearing loss, and a growing fear of paralysis. Once a teacher, she now lives in a tent with her children and brother’s family after her husband was killed at their doorstep while they tried to flee the bombardment.

The blast ruptured her eardrum and, without access to adequate care, caused severe inflammation and bone erosion. “I live on painkillers,” she said softly. “When the pain becomes too much, I go to the hospital for IV fluids and return to the tent. I can’t leave my children alone.” Each hospital visit costs her 150 shekels, a sum she can hardly afford, and even basic ear drops have become nearly impossible to find.

Doctors have warned that without urgent treatment abroad, her condition could lead to partial paralysis. Susan was granted a medical referral more than seven months ago, but bureaucratic delays and closed borders have trapped her inside Gaza. “I was told I needed to travel within a month,” she said. “Now, every day that passes feels like another step toward losing my strength.”

Her story mirrors that of thousands of patients stranded in Gaza, where the health system has nearly collapsed. The Ministry of Health estimates that over 22,000 people urgently need medical evacuation, while international health agencies warn that many will not survive the wait. For Susan, the struggle is no longer only against illness, but against time, isolation, and the suffocating silence left by war.