SAFA — At least 1,134 Palestinian children in Gaza have lost limbs as a result of Israeli attacks, while severe restrictions on medical evacuations and the entry of essential equipment have left many without the prosthetic limbs, rehabilitation, and specialized treatment they urgently need.

For these children, surviving an Israeli attack is only the beginning of a prolonged struggle. Without proper medical care, artificial limbs, and physical therapy, many face years of pain, limited mobility, and psychological trauma, with even the simplest aspects of childhood, including walking, playing, and attending school, becoming daily challenges.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor warned on Wednesday that the suffering of Palestinian children with amputations continues to deepen as Gaza's devastated healthcare system struggles to provide essential rehabilitation services.

According to figures published by the organization on October 9, 2026, at least 1,134 Palestinian children had undergone amputations following Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Beyond the immediate trauma of losing a limb, these children require extensive medical treatment, pain management, physical rehabilitation, psychological support, and properly fitted prosthetic devices.

Because their bodies are still growing, children also need regular adjustments and replacements of artificial limbs. Without continuous care, their prospects of regaining mobility, independence, and a normal childhood become increasingly uncertain.

Hundreds Receive Prosthetics as Thousands Remain Without Adequate Care

The scale of Gaza's rehabilitation crisis is reflected in figures cited from the World Health Organization.

According to a WHO report published in May 2026, only around 500 of nearly 2,300 people assessed following amputations in Gaza between September 2024 and May 2026 had received permanent prosthetic limbs.

The figures cover patients of different ages and illustrate the severe shortage of prosthetic services across the Gaza Strip.

Israeli restrictions on medical evacuations have further limited access to specialized treatment that is unavailable inside Gaza, leaving children at risk of preventable complications and long-term disabilities.

Delays in receiving prosthetics and rehabilitation can result in chronic pain, reduced mobility, muscle weakness, and additional injuries, making recovery increasingly difficult.

For children whose injuries require advanced surgical procedures or specialized rehabilitation abroad, restrictions on travel can mean prolonged suffering without a clear path to treatment.

Children Forced to Walk on Makeshift Limbs Amid Gaza’s Ruins

The devastation of Gaza's infrastructure has made everyday life especially difficult for children living with amputations.

Many must navigate streets covered in rubble, damaged roads, and overcrowded displacement camps, where tents and temporary shelters lack accessible bathrooms, safe pathways, and suitable living conditions.

For a child who has lost a leg, reaching a hospital, attending a rehabilitation appointment, or simply moving around a shelter can become an exhausting and painful ordeal.

With properly fitted prosthetics unavailable, some children have resorted to using plastic pipes and other improvised devices to stand, walk, and participate in everyday activities.

These makeshift alternatives can cause serious discomfort, poor balance, repeated falls, and injuries to the remaining part of the limb.

Without professional fitting and medical supervision, they may also cause pressure wounds and complications that further undermine future rehabilitation.

The shortage of suitable mobility equipment has therefore left some children struggling not only with the consequences of their injuries but also with additional harm caused by inadequate alternatives.

Limb Loss, Orphanhood, and Displacement Deepen Children’s Suffering

For many Palestinian children, the loss of a limb is compounded by the loss of parents, homes, schools, and the stability needed for recovery.

Families caring for children with amputations face overwhelming challenges, including displacement, poverty, shortages of medical supplies, and the destruction of essential services.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor recorded 71,846 orphaned children in Gaza as of October 9, 2026.

Children who have lost limbs and one or both parents face particularly severe difficulties accessing medical care, attending school, and maintaining regular rehabilitation.

Many depend on relatives who are themselves struggling with displacement, financial hardship, and the loss of their homes and livelihoods.

Without stable family support and accessible healthcare, these children risk being deprived of the long-term treatment and emotional care essential to their recovery.

Human Rights Monitor Warns of Deliberate Harm to Palestinian Children

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor also cited a June 2026 report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry examining violations against Palestinian children.

According to the Monitor's account of the commission's findings, substantial harm inflicted on Palestinian children was intentional and formed part of actions directed against Palestinians in Gaza.

The Monitor said the commission had identified reasonable grounds to conclude that these acts reflected a deliberate strategy affecting children and the future of the Palestinian community.

The organization stressed that responsibility for the suffering of children with amputations extends beyond the attacks that caused their injuries.

It argued that restrictions preventing children from receiving medical treatment, rehabilitation, education, accessible shelter, and mobility equipment also contribute to prolonged harm.

Calls for Urgent Medical Evacuations and an End to Israeli Restrictions

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor urged the international community to pressure Israel to remove restrictions preventing Palestinian children from accessing specialized medical care outside Gaza.

It called for urgent medical evacuations based on clinical need, allowing children to travel with accompanying family members and without unjustified delays.

The organization also demanded the unrestricted entry of prosthetic devices, rehabilitation equipment, and essential medical supplies needed to restore mobility and improve the lives of injured children.

Beyond immediate medical assistance, the Monitor called for an end to Israeli attacks, starvation policies, forced displacement, and the destruction of conditions necessary for civilian life.

It further demanded the lifting of the blockade, an end to Israel's unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, and accountability for violations committed against Palestinian children.

For Gaza's young amputees, access to prosthetics and rehabilitation is not simply a medical necessity. It is essential to restoring their ability to move, learn, play, and live with dignity after surviving injuries that have permanently changed their lives.

Source : Safa News