Gaza Herald – Inside a tent in central Gaza, 16-year-old Ahmad Al-Ghalban sits on a worn mattress, exhausted by pain, staring at old photos on his phone showing him and his twin brother Mohammad performing gymnastics routines with remarkable agility and joy before an Israeli airstrike turned those moments into painful memories.
Those images have become evidence of a life shattered in a single instant when Ahmad lost both of his legs and lost his twin brother forever in an Israeli airstrike that targeted them in northern Beit Lahia in March 2025.
The Assassination of a Dream
Ahmad and Mohammad began practicing gymnastics at the age of seven in a local club in Gaza before participating in sports performances across Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah.
Their dream was simple: sports, happiness, and perhaps one day representing a national team. But the genocide stopped everything.
On March 22, while attempting to evacuate their home following an Israeli military evacuation threat, they were struck by a direct shell in Al-Shaimaa area of Beit Lahia, turning a moment of displacement into a moment of devastating loss.
Ahmad says he was with his twin brother, his uncle, and his six-year-old cousin when the strike hit suddenly, giving them no chance to understand what was happening.
The attack killed his twin Mohammad, his uncle, and his young cousin, while Ahmad suffered catastrophic injuries: both legs amputated above the knee, the loss of four fingers on his left hand, a fracture in his right hand, and severe back injuries.
Moments Before Death
Ahmad recalls hearing his brother Mohammad reciting the Shahada and verses from the Quran moments before losing his life, while he himself was trembling and reading Quranic verses aloud.
Soon after, Ahmad lost consciousness and only woke up inside a hospital, beginning a completely different chapter of life, from a gymnast full of movement to a body trapped in stillness.
Mohammad was not merely his twin brother; he was the closest person to Ahmad’s heart. They grew up together, trained together, played together, and shared every detail of childhood.
“Mohammad was my best friend and a piece of my soul,” Ahmad says. “I never imagined he would leave me alone.”
Today, Ahmad can no longer stand or move without assistance. Most of his time is spent inside a displacement tent or lying on a treatment bed, unable to leave without extreme difficulty.
Holding Onto Artificial Limbs
Since the injury, Ahmad’s life has changed entirely. He can no longer move freely or practice sports, yet he still clings to the hope of receiving treatment outside Gaza and being fitted with prosthetic limbs that may help him walk again, even partially.
With deep pain, he says: “I used to pray that my legs would never be injured because gymnastics and football were my whole life. But this is my fate. My legs reached paradise before I did.”
That hope, however, remains tied to a harsh reality: the continued closure of the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world, alongside the collapse of the healthcare system under Israeli genocide and blockade.
Thousands of Child Amputees
In the same context, the United Nations has stated that Gaza now contains “the largest number of child amputees in modern history.”
UN and health estimates indicate that between 5,000 and 6,000 amputations have been recorded in Gaza since the genocide began in October 2023.
According to the World Health Organization, one out of every four people injured in the war requires long-term rehabilitation services, including continuous medical and psychological care.
