At the age of 15, Taha El Maqadma has already lost his father, his brother, and his home during Israel's war on Gaza. Now he has lost his sight too, while trying to collect aid from what was supposed to be a safe zone.
It was Taha's first time at an aid distribution site, and he made the journey out of necessity, he told The National. “We didn't have anything to eat. I thought I could safely get there, pick up the aid, and leave,” he said, choking up.
He had believed that the site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Netzarim was safe, as his visit coincided with the US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Gaza this month. The purpose of Mr Witkoff's trip was to give Donald Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation” in Gaza after the US President admitted there was “real starvation” in the strip.
When Taha first arrived, things seemed calm. “The Israelis were distracted with Witkoff, which meant it was safe for us,” he said. But as soon as the US envoy departed, it turned into a “war zone”.
Despite giving people the go ahead to approach the site for aid, the Israeli army opened fire on the crowds of hungry Palestinians, hitting Taha and many others. “We were lured there to be killed,” Taha said.
An investigation by The National has unveiled a pattern of the systematic and deliberate killing of Palestinians while attempting to collect aid in Gaza, corroborating Taha's experience. More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed while waiting to receive aid – at least 900 of them near GHF aid distribution sites, according to the UN.
“They hurt so many people, and they killed many others. Anyone who moved was shot at. Anyone who tried to help someone else was also shot,” Taha recalled.
Then everything went dark. Taha collapsed to the ground, frozen and unable to help himself. “I thought I was martyred,” he said. “It was a matter of seconds. I heard gunshots, then I was hit, and I couldn't see anything.”
It wasn't until the shooting stopped that people were able to get to Taha. He was loaded on to a small lorry with dozens of others and taken to Al Awda Hospital, where he was treated on the floor. He was then transported to Al Aqsa Hospital for further treatment. Despite their best efforts, no hospital in Gaza has what Taha needs to make a full recovery.
Israeli attacks have devastated most of Gaza's healthcare sector since the war began in October 2023, with most hospitals either badly damaged or destroyed and scores of medical workers killed or detained.
Gaza's only eye hospital was destroyed by Israeli air strikes early in the war. Although the hospital has partially reopened, it remains on the brink of collapse.
More than 1,500 Palestinians have lost their sight, according to the territory's health authorities. Another 4,000 people are at risk of going permanently blind from untreated injuries and chronic conditions.
Taha's story is no different. “I used to play football, draw, read, and study … Now I've stopped everything because of my eyesight,” he said. “Doctors say there’s hope for me still, but they can’t do anything for me here.”
The teenager's only hope of regaining his vision is to be evacuated for treatment abroad. “I wish I could travel and get proper help,” he said. “I don't want my life to end at 15.”
