Omar loses his legs, fights for normal life in Gaza

Omar Abu Ali’s (34 years old) treatment journey turned into a real nightmare after he lost both legs due to direct fire from the Israeli army during the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023.

Omar and his brother Ibrahim were caught in an airstrike while trying to escape the bombing of the Shati refugee camp. The attack resulted in the death of his brother and serious injuries to his brother’s wife and child.

Omar told the newspaper “Palestine” on Monday, “The situation was extremely dire, and the risks were immense, but I was terrified for my brother and his family. The bombing is merciless and targets everything.”

After being transferred to Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Omar underwent emergency surgeries during which more than 20 units of blood were used to save his life. However, doctors were forced to amputate his legs due to the severity of his injuries. He then began a long treatment journey at the Belgian Hospital in Al-Zawayda.

Omar says, “I received treatment at the Belgian hospital for 55 days, and my health deteriorated significantly due to my injury.”

He continues in a low voice, “I suffered severe internal bleeding that caused my heart to stop twice, prompting the doctors to immediately ask my family to come and say goodbye.” But fate had other plans, and Omar miraculously survived thanks to the doctors’ tireless efforts to save his life.

He admits that the injury has “paralyzed his life,” as he puts it, and prevented him from supporting his wife and four children.

Today, Omar struggles with mobility issues and is dependent on others.

He awaits a referral to travel to an Arab or foreign country for treatment and prosthetic limbs that will enable him to regain his ability to walk and move around.

This is a dream shared by thousands of wounded Palestinians who lost limbs during the Zionist aggression, as the Israeli entity continues to control the crossings and obstruct their access to necessary medical treatment.