In Gaza, a long path to recovery for one woman who lost eye, and daughter

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported on July 23, 2026, on the case of Najwa Abu Atiwi, a 42-year-old woman from Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, whose recovery has combined severe physical injury with bereavement. The outlet said an Israeli air strike hit her home in September 2024, leaving her in a coma for weeks. When she woke on October 11, she learned doctors had removed one eye and were trying to preserve the other. She later found out that her young daughter, Hajar, had been killed in the same strike shortly before her sixth birthday.

According to the report, Abu Atiwi has undergone extensive treatment for facial and jaw injuries, including the placement of metal plates and meshes. She still has difficulty opening her jaw, speaking and eating normally, and is waiting for permission to leave Gaza for specialised care that doctors say is not available locally.

Dr Ayman Saidam, an oculoplastic surgery consultant cited by Al Jazeera, described her injuries as among the most complex he had treated, involving eye loss, facial fractures and eyelid damage. He said reconstructive treatment in such cases must address the underlying facial structure before cosmetic procedures, but shortages of equipment, supplies and materials in Gaza can delay each stage.

The report also focused on the psychological toll. Dr Hassan Abu Shawish, a psychologist who treated Abu Atiwi, said her trauma was compounded by disfigurement, pain and the death of her child. Al Jazeera noted that the World Health Organization has classified about a quarter of recorded injuries in Gaza as life-changing, with more than 50,000 requiring long-term rehabilitation.