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

What Happened

On 11 October 2024, Najwa Abu Atiwi, 42, awoke from a weeks-long coma in Gaza following an Israeli air strike on her home in Nuseirat camp. The strike, which occurred at an unspecified earlier date, killed her six-year-old daughter Hajar and left Najwa with catastrophic facial injuries: she lost her right eye, suffered fractures requiring metal plates and meshes, and faces ongoing difficulty eating, speaking, and opening her jaw. Her left eye sustained internal bleeding, and she is at risk of further vision loss due to an inability to close the eyelid fully. Doctors describe her case as among the most complex they have treated, requiring maxillofacial reconstruction before cosmetic surgery, but Gaza lacks the necessary equipment and supplies due to years of Israeli blockade and the destruction of medical infrastructure. Najwa learned of her daughter’s death one month after waking; she continues to need psychological support for the compounded trauma of disfigurement and bereavement. She has a referral for treatment abroad but awaits permission to leave Gaza, as thousands of other Gazans with life-changing injuries face similar barriers.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

Najwa’s story crystallises the layered human toll of the war: the killing of children, the creation of thousands of life-changing wounds, and the collapse of medical capacity under blockade. It illustrates how even a ceasefire may not halt suffering when patients require care unavailable domestically and are denied exit. The WHO reports that over 50,000 Gazans need long-term rehabilitation, and one-quarter of all recorded injuries are classified as life-changing, making the treatment pipeline a strategic humanitarian and political issue tied to border control and access to reconstruction supplies.

Watch For

Najwa’s pending travel permission is a concrete marker to monitor — whether Israel and Egypt facilitate her medical evacuation will signal the operational status of exit mechanisms. Also watch for any new restrictions on medical imports, as shortages Dr. Saidam described could trigger further preventable vision loss or unhealed fractures among thousands awaiting complex care. Updates on civilian harm from airstrikes in central Gaza, especially around Nuseirat, and any legal proceedings or ceasefire violations that affect humanitarian access, will frame the wider environment for survivors.