Agencies-Gaza post
‘I felt an electric shock’: Rahaf loses half of her body due to an Israeli missile
By Abdalhay Alhouseini
A Palestinian child Rahaf Salman, 11, lives in Jabalia refugee camp, north of the Gaza Strip. In conjunction with the Israeli bombing of the besieged enclave, specifically at 9 p.m. during evening prayers, she was targeted by the Israeli occupation warplanes with a direct missile. At that moment, Rahaf only saw a red light drops towards her, and she fell unconscious on August 6, 2022.
“During evening prayers my brother “Mohammad” was playing outside, I went to call him while we planning to prepare dinner that my father went to buy, I waved to him, but he did not pay attention. Suddenly I heard the sounds of planes getting louder like they were approaching the ground. I looked up into the sky, to find a red light fell towards me, and hit me,” Rahaf told what had happened with her, and she was on the hospital bed in a dim light room, next to her injured brother.
“I felt very electric shock in my body, I looked around and saw my neighbors’ sons, then I fell unconscious. I do not know what happened next, until I woke up on the hospital bed,” she continued.
“I came back to consciousness, and my eyes hurt, I did not feel my limbs, I looked at my body and did not find my right hand, not even my both legs, I realized just what had happened, yes I lost half of my body, I know they preceded me to heaven,” she said.
“For my right hand I used it to practice my favorite hobby of drawing, other than that, writing, eating and drinking, you do not know that I love drawing, my last painting was a trip with my family and neighbors to the sea, and it included a fun atmosphere where we swam and barbecued. I do not need to tell you about my legs, you know how important they are in performing all life tasks,” she talked in a tone of extreme pain and fatigue.
“That is all because of the Israeli occupation, which bombards houses, kills children, women and elderly, so do not believe them when they deny their actions,” Rahaf confirmed as she closed her eyes due to injury.
“In these moments I just want to receive treatment for me and my brother, who has been wounded by shrapnel in the pelvis and chest, he also broke a knee and suffered a hand injury as well, so I ask the Turkish President to respond to our request for treatment in Turkey, which I have always hoped to visit, and I wish to have prostheses, so that it can help me to go about my life normally,” she said.
Lastly, she dreams of becoming a nurse since she lives in constant wars, and to ease patients of their pain.
Recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to Rahaf’s request for treatment in Turkey, with her wounded brother.
On August 17, they left the besieged enclave with their parents to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, after which they will head to Turkey.
On August 18, they arrive in Turkey, and began receiving treatment at a hospital in the capital Ankara.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, Over the three days of escalation this month, 43 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes, including 15 children and 4 women, and 311 were wounded.
