
Editor’s note: This tale includes visuals summaries of war time injuries.
A little over a year back, Motassembelah “Motassem” Abuzayed was a junior in senior high school, taking pleasure in playing football and having bbqs with his buddies.
He enjoyed his 2 family pet felines and imagined mosting likely to university or college to end up being an effective business person.
Nevertheless, those desires were disrupted when Motassem was badly wounded by an airstrike while he was outdoors with his buddies in his area in the Gaza Strip, he informed ABC Information. Motassem is among the greater than 25,000 kids that have actually been wounded throughout the Israel-Hamas battle, according to the United Nations.
Motassem shed a lot of his left arm in the strike, simply a couple of weeks after the battle burst out. His third finger on his right-hand man was totally dismembered and his center finger was partly dismembered, with efforts made to rebuild it. He invested months in between Gaza and Egypt prior to he was left to the USA to get even more extensive healthcare.
” Every little thing altered. I had no hope that I would certainly obtain therapy,” he informed ABC Information in Arabic. “When I involved America … a future opened up for me. I had hope.”
ABC Information has actually been narrating the trips of several of the Palestinian kids that have actually been wounded throughout the battle.

Motassembelah Abuzayed, 17, was seriously wounded at his home in north Gaza in November 2023. He is getting clinical therapy in the united state
ABC Information
‘ I saw us obtain struck and after that absolutely nothing’
Prior to the battle, Motassem stayed in the Az-Zawayda area of north Gaza with his dad, mom and 7 brother or sisters: one sis and 6 siblings.
He was going to college. He stated he enjoyed knowing, which location was his favored topic.
” I would certainly rise and clothed. I get up at 6 [o’clock] in the early morning, most likely to college and find out,” he stated. “After that I would certainly go home. I discover food all set. I rest with my household, and we consume with each other. After that I would certainly do my research, after that play football with my buddies.”
On Oct. 7, 2023, the day Hamas released a shock terrorist strike in southerly Israel, which led to Israel proclaiming battle on Hamas, Motassem stated he was asleep.
” Most of us awakened and all I listened to was the audios of bombs,” he stated. “Damage. You can listen to screams on the road. After Oct. 7, there was no pleasure. They quit the globe.”
Motassem stated he and his household initially believed the dispute would certainly more than within a week, yet as the battle proceeded, his area was struck hard. He stated his household did not wish to leave their home and chose to remain.He stated he survived the very same block with his aunties, uncles and relatives, and the household attempted to see each various other whenever feasible.
On the day of his injury, Oct. 28. 2023, Motasaem, after that 16, stated he was outdoors, near his residence with his relatives and 2 of his buddies when a bomb struck the location around him.
Motasaem does not keep in mind a great deal from the day of his injury and the days that complied with, which he calls a mix of amnesia and tries to obstruct the day from his memory. Nevertheless, what he does keep in mind is the preliminary blast.
” That day was a dark day. It had not been a typical day,” he stated. “I saw us obtain struck, and afterwards I saw absolutely nothing.”
Motassembelah (Motassem) stayed in north Gaza with his moms and dads and 7 brother or sisters prior to the battle. Motassem is imagined below prior to the Israel-Hamas battle, day unknown.
Politeness Motassembelah Abuzayed
Motassem stated he does not keep in mind anything till he awakened at Al-Aqsa Medical facility that he discovered he would certainly shed a lot of his left arm and 2 fingers on his right-hand man.
” I simply awakened in the health center and inquired, ‘What took place?'” he stated. “They informed me, ‘Your arm is gone.'”
Youngsters using marks of the battle
Youngsters have actually been substantially influenced by the Israel-Hamas dispute, with UNICEF Communications Expert Tess Ingram stating during a briefing last year that youngsters and teens are “overmuch using the marks of the battle in Gaza.”
Throughout a lot of 2024, charitable Save the Children approximated approximately 475 kids were being injured by eruptive tools monthly, or 15 kids a day, possibly leaving numerous with life-long specials needs.
In the very same record, medical professionals from companion company Clinical Help for Palestinians stated kids’s injuries are not recovery as a result of raised degrees of poor nutrition, resulting in amputations that would certainly or else not be essential. An elderly United Nations authorities told the Security Council in October 2024 that Gaza is home to the biggest variety of amputee kids in contemporary background.
Motassem stated the discomfort he really felt was “inexpressible” which he really felt terrified in the health center. Because of the lack of medicine in Gaza, Motassem stated he can just be provided Actimol, a medication normally implied to eliminate light to modest discomfort and to decrease high temperature.
Motassem stated he had a number of procedures on his arm and fingers and required to have an upper body tube positioned on his left side after medical professionals located he had a hemothorax, which takes place when blood swimming pools in the pleural area, or the area in between the lungs and the upper body wall surface.
He likewise established an extreme microbial infection, yet he stated it’s vague which infection he had.
The trip to obtain Motassem to the United States
Motassem was clinically left to Egypt on New Year’s Eve in 2023 via a program run by the Gaza Ministry of Health and wellness, according to Tareq Hailat, supervisor of international client events at the Palestine Kid’s Alleviation Fund (PCRF), the NGO in charge of ultimately clinically leaving Motassem to the United State
” I mored than happy that I was leaving Gaza to obtain therapy abroad. When I reached Egypt, I really did not discover the therapy appropriate,” Motassem stated. “As soon as I reached the health center, they maintained doing examinations on me. They informed me I required some surgical treatments due to the bone that is appearing [of my arm].”
Motassem’s surgical treatments in Egypt consisted of a treatment to change the shoulder bone in his left arm and to divide integrated bones in his right-hand man, Hailat stated. Motassem likewise experienced relentless injury infections and medical professionals eliminated shrapnel, clinical gauze and wood particles from his injuries.
Hailat stated that hurt clients left to Egypt are required to a federal government center to be refined. Nevertheless, due to the congestion, clients can go a very long time without seeing a physician or getting healthcare.

Motassem was wounded in November 2023 when a bomb purportedly went off while he got on a road near his home in Gaza. Motassem shed his left arm and component of his fingers on his right-hand man.
PCRF
Motassem was still struggling with the microbial infection and still called for the upper body tube while in Egypt.
” He had severe discomfort, certainly, in addition to phantom discomfort, he was having these neuromas of these nerves that were blocking and developing the serious discomfort for him,” Hailat stated.
A neuroma is a development of afferent neuron that can take place at the end of a cut nerve in a truncated arm or leg. It can be really excruciating for an amputee.
As a result of the discomfort, medical professionals were reluctant to offer him a prosthetic arm since they were stressed it would certainly trigger more nerve damages, according to Hailat.
He stated clinical documents reveal Motassem remained in the health center for 2 months prior to it was identified he did not require healthcare any longer. His dad had the ability to safeguard a location to remain for Motassem and his sibling, that was accompanying him, according to Hailat.
Hailat stated PCRF saw a video clip on social media sites in late August 2024 of Motassem initially getting to the health center in Egypt and, acknowledging he required sophisticated treatment, connected to review clinically leaving him to the UNITED STATE
” He was likewise exceptionally depressing. He was constantly in his space. He did not leave his space in any way to speak with anybody and, when I connected to him, he in fact believed it was a joke initially,” Hailat stated. “I connected and obtained his dad’s number, and I called his dad, and his dad recognized that it was severe. I sent them evidence of the job that we have actually done.”
” And, then, I remember his dad grabbing the phone and calling me and stating to me, ‘Please ensure that this functions, since this kid is so badly dispirited that if we offer him this incorrect hope, after that it will certainly ruin him,'” Hailat stated. “And, then, I recognized that I wished to ensure that points go right prior to very first getting in touch with Motassembelah and clearly informing them that he’s mosting likely to leave.”
Motassem stated he went to your house in Egypt with his sibling when he initially got the information that he was going to obtain therapy in the united state. It had actually been difficult to interact with his household back home in Gaza as a result of inadequate web link and he went to a nadir psychologically.
” It was truthfully a wonder from God,” he stated. “They connected to me and stated, ‘We wish to bring you to America.’ Then, psychologically, I went to a no in Egypt. When they informed me they were bringing me to America, I really felt alleviation.”
” I wish to give thanks to Mr. Tareq for the method he treated me,” Motassem stated. “When I initially connected with him in Egypt, he brought the concept of hope back to me which I will certainly begin my future.”
As soon as Shriners Kid’s Medical facility in Philly consented to approve Motassem’s situation, Hailat functioned to collect the ideal visas and documents required.
Because of the regulations bordering visas, Motassem would certainly need to go by himself, which his dad authorized with the PCRF. After a number of weeks, Motassem turned into one of the 24 Gazan kids PCRF has actually clinically left to the united state for therapy.
‘ I went to tranquility’
Motassem was placed on a straight trip from Cairo to New York City City with an additional kid being clinically left to the united state. It was his very first time on an aircraft, which he called a “fellow feeling” yet likewise “tiring.”
Motassem showed up in the united state at John F. Kennedy International Airport terminal on his birthday celebration, Oct. 19, 2024. He stated he was stood up concerned for 4 hours and asked if he belonged to Hamas or a fan of Hamas. Motassem stated he does not recognize any kind of participants of the company.
After months getting therapy in Gaza and Egypt, Motassem was clinically left to the united state to get therapy. Imagined: Motassem (much best) and PCRF employees come to a train terminal in Philly, Oct. 19, 2024.
PCRF
Pictures and video clips from that day reveal a group of fans supporting for Motassem as he gets here, lugging Palestinian flags and welcome indicators.
” It was inexpressible. I was so delighted,” he stated. “They were all great individuals, and they all invited me, it was truly interesting. … It was a stunning day.”
Motassem invested the very first day fulfilling the welcome team and checking out the roads of Philly prior to his therapy was readied to start at Shriners Kid’s Medical facility.
When asked to define what it resembled walking Philly, he stated, “I went to tranquility.”
When Motassem initially consulted with a group at Shriners Kid’s, medical professionals originally thought he simply required a prosthetic gadget which his therapy would certainly be wrapped up within 3 months, according to Hailat.
Nevertheless, after the preliminary physical analyses, the group saw the neuromas and just how they were creating serious discomfort for Motassem.
Physicians stated they required to do nerve-bundling surgical procedure to decrease his discomfort therefore the prosthetic would certainly fit him in a pain-free method, and he might require a lot more rehabilitative surgical treatments, according to Hailat. This whole procedure might use up to 2 years.
As a result of this raised timeline, Hailat relocated Motassem from the host household he was remaining with in Delaware to a brand-new home in Greenville, South Carolina.
He presently resides in a residence with 2 teen children likewise from Gaza: Ayham, whose leg was wounded throughout the battle, and Ayham’s older sibling, Ismail.

Motassem is seen on Jan. 24, 2025 getting therapy in Philly, where he will certainly get rehabilitative surgical treatments and be suitabled for a prosthetic at Shriner’s Kid’s Medical facility in Philly.
PCRF
” I speak with them on a daily basis,” Motassem stated. “Those 2 indicate a great deal to me. I enjoy them.”
Hailat stated it was very important to guarantee Motassem had individuals near his very own age with whom he can hang around, specifically because no relative remain in the united state with him.
” Among things that I was frightened regarding … since the healthcare strategy was mosting likely to be as long and we brought him below without a friend, I was terrified that he will certainly obtain really lonesome which he will not create a neighborhood of assistance,” Hailat stated. “Which’s why I brought him to [South Carolina], guarantee that he’s with an additional client from Gaza, and they are both experiencing really comparable healthcare strategies and can share that that experience with each various other, and it’s been definitely extraordinary. It’s been incredible.”
Motassem stated he attempts to speak with his household back in Gaza as long as he can.
He stated whenever he talks with his mother, he attempts to not discuss his injury and rather review future strategies.
” I altered the topic. I do not discuss the injury, anything to do with the injury,” he stated. “I attempt to pass it. … My mom is my universe. I do not simply miss her food; I miss out on life with her. She is whatever.”
Motassem went through nerve-bundling surgical procedure on Jan. 24, 2025. In a video clip journal shown ABC Information hereafter surgical procedure, he stated the surgical procedure worked out.
Wishes of going back to Gaza
It’s vague for how long Motassem will certainly require to remain in the united state to finish this therapy, yet he wishes to go back to Gaza someday. The current ceasefire makes him enthusiastic.
He contrasted the day he learnt more about the ceasefire to the Muslim vacation of Eid, which is completion of the month-long rapid of Ramadan.
” I had the ability to speak with [my family] 3 days after the ceasefire since there was no web,” Motassem stated. “I informed my mother, ‘Congratulations.’ It resembled the event of a bridegroom’s wedding celebration. The battle mores than.”
The offer in between Israel and Hamas will certainly occur in 3 various stages, each of which will certainly last for 6 weeks, according to united state and Qatari authorities.
Motassem stated his household presently resides in an outdoor tents in Gaza since fifty percent of their residence was damaged throughout his battle. 2 of his relatives were eliminated 2 days prior to the ceasefire, he states.

It might use up to 2 years for Motassem to go through the rehabilitative surgical treatments he requires and to be suitabled for a prosthetic.
ABC Information
Nevertheless, he has hope he can go back to aid reconstruct.
” I miss out on whatever in my space. I miss out on the convenience that I really felt while in it,” he stated. “This residence I was birthed in and lived my whole life in, and it’s currently gone. However 100% we will certainly reconstruct.”
He stated as soon as his therapy is finished in the united state, he wishes to graduate in organization and repay to individuals of Gaza.
” I wish to do whatever for them, specifically after the abuse they experienced,” he stated. “You do not also see points such as this in films. The devastation you see in films is not like what is occurring. They should have to have a right to live. Individuals of Gaza, the entire globe understands that they are currently.”