'Everything is difficult': Gaza amputees tell TNA of life without limbs and vital support

For Adli Obeid, even travelling a short distance through Gaza has become an exhausting ordeal.

The 40-year-old father of four from Shujaiya in eastern Gaza City lost his right leg during Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave and now relies on crutches to navigate streets filled with rubble and destruction.

He is among more than 5,000 Palestinians who have undergone amputations since the war began in October 2023, according to new figures from Gaza's health ministry. Obeid and other amputees told The New Arab that a severe shortage of prosthetic limbs, mobility aids and rehabilitation services has compounded the difficulties of living with their injuries.

"Everything has become difficult since I lost my leg. Before, I could walk wherever I wanted, take care of my children and go to work without thinking about whether the road was suitable for me. Now, even going a short distance can be exhausting because there are no proper roads and so much rubble and destruction everywhere," Obeid told The New Arab.

"The injury did not only take away my leg. It took away a part of my independence. I sometimes feel that I am a burden on my family because there are things I used to do myself that I now need help with. Mentally, it has been very hard. I have four children, and I want to be strong for them, but there are moments when I feel frustrated, angry, and helpless," he continued.

Obeid said he is constantly reminded of his disability, particularly because of a shortage of wheelchairs, crutches and medicine in Gaza amid Israeli restrictions on aid entering the Strip.

Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday that it had documented at least 5,000 amputations since the start of the war, including around 980 children and 555 women.

The ministry's breakdown also included 595 men and more than 2,870 other cases.

Israel's war on Gaza has been determined to be a genocide by leading rights groups.

Another amputee, Mansour al-Qerem, a 42-year-old father of three from Gaza City, said one of the most difficult changes since losing his leg has been his inability to move freely and play with his children.

"You feel that your role as a father has changed because you cannot always do what you used to do. The psychological impact is very heavy. At first, I could not accept what had happened. You look at yourself and realize that your body has changed forever," he told The New Arab.

"There is no opportunity to recover mentally because the war is still affecting every part of our lives. You are not only dealing with the loss of your leg. You are also dealing with destruction, displacement, the loss of people you know and the fear of what comes next," he added.

Al-Qerem said that while a small number of organisations provide support for amputees in Gaza, the scale of need far exceeds the assistance and number of prosthetics available.

"An amputee needs more than a crutch. We need rehabilitation, prosthetic limbs, physiotherapy, medical treatment, and psychological support. I believe international disability organisations can do much more. The world has seen the number of people who have lost limbs in Gaza, but the needs of these people do not end when their wounds heal. An amputee may need years of rehabilitation and support to regain independence," he said.

Low-quality prosthetic limbs 

A spokesperson for Islamic Relief, an international aid organisation, told The New Arab that even the prosthetic limbs that are available are low quality.

"Child amputees face particular challenges as their bodies are still growing so their prosthetic limbs need regular replacement, but there are few available," the spokesperson said. 

Islamic Relief also noted that medical staff have faced the brunt of the Israeli offensive, with medics exhausted and traumatised. 

"Most hospitals and primary health centres are shut down and those that are open face a constant struggle due to lack of fuel and supplies," the spokesperson added.

"Nowhere near enough aid is getting into Gaza. The Israeli blockade continues to restrict the movement of people and supplies in and out of Gaza – limiting vital supplies and preventing critically ill civilians from leaving for treatment. Gaza has been starved of supplies for almost three years".

The organisation said that despite aid trickling into the enclave, much more needs to enter, and the world needs to increase its pressure and political action on Israel to protect civilians and respect international law. 

Double amputations

The health ministry said the overall figure also includes people with double amputations and other complex injuries requiring urgent medical intervention to save remaining limbs.

Israel's offensive on Gaza, which is continuing despite an October ceasefire, has also left more than 10,000 people needing intensive and long-term rehabilitation programmes because of the nature of their injuries, the ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry described physical therapy and rehabilitation services in Gaza as a "crucial lifeline".

New data also shows that around 300 people have neurological and spinal cord injuries requiring specialised care and rehabilitation, while most medical centres and healthcare facilities have been targeted or severely damaged, according to the ministry.

Activists and human rights groups have warned that conditions in Gaza are putting sick and injured people at risk of serious health complications, particularly amid severe shortages of medical supplies, prosthetic devices and artificial limbs.

According to the World Health Organization, around 43,000 of 172,000 wounded people have suffered life-altering injuries.

Gaza's health ministry has called on international organisations and UN agencies to urgently facilitate the entry of vital rehabilitation supplies and equipment into the enclave.

It also reiterated calls for land crossings to be fully opened, particularly for critical cases requiring urgent treatment outside Gaza or care that is unavailable in the enclave.

Despite the shortage of medical equipment, doctors and specialists have continued working in difficult conditions, at times treating people in displacement tents because patients are unable to reach healthcare facilities.

UN agency UNRWA has said Gaza now has the largest group of child amputees in modern history.