GAZA, (PIC)
Inside one of the crowded displacement camps in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian child Mohammed Odeh feels his way with slow and cautious steps, after losing his eyesight due to the explosion of an object from the remnants of the Israeli army that he believed was a toy.
The child Mohammed, 12, did not realize that his approach to the metal object would turn his life completely upside down, as it exploded in his face, causing him to lose his sight, in addition to the amputation of four fingers of his left hand.
Mohammed says, in an interview with Anadolu Agency, “I thought it was a toy, but it exploded in my face, and since that moment I have not seen anything.”
The child has begun living a new reality in which he depends on others for the simplest details of his daily life, inside a narrow tent that lacks the minimum requirements for life, while he tries to adapt to a world in which he suddenly lost the ability to see.
The tragedy of Mohammed comes at a time when about 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face daily risks arising from the remnants of the Israeli bombardment, including bombs, missiles, mines, and unexploded ordnance, left by the war that broke out in October 2023.
Despite the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement on October 10 last year, human rights and medical warnings continue regarding the danger of these remnants, in light of their widespread presence among residential neighborhoods and displacement areas.
The Israeli war of genocide on Gaza has left more than 72,000 martyrs, and more than 172,000 injured, most of whom are children and women, in addition to extensive destruction that affected about 90 percent of the civilian infrastructure in the Strip, according to official Palestinian data.
Are we in the night or the day?
Next to his father inside the tent, Mohammed sits trying to eat his food with the help of his family, after he was a child who relied on himself and spent his day playing and moving.
His father Hussam Odeh said, “Mohammed’s life has turned upside down. He was a child who loved playing and movement, and today he lives in total darkness.” He added, speaking about the magnitude of the shock his son is experiencing, “Sometimes he asks me in broad daylight: Are we in the night or the day?”
The child’s suffering does not stop at the loss of sight, but rather doubles within a displacement environment that lacks basic services or any special equipment for people with disabilities, in light of the extensive destruction that hit streets, public facilities, and infrastructure.
Despite this, Mohammed clings to a simple hope, saying, “The war took my childhood from me, but I want to live like the rest of the children, to learn, play, and move as I wish.”
Education with a stick and Braille
In an attempt to challenge his injury, the child continues his education at the Al-Noor Center for the Blind, affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the city of Deir al-Balah.
Children inside the center receive training on using a stick while moving and traveling, in addition to learning to write in the Braille method for the blind.
Mohammed says, “I want to learn and complete my studies, and my dream is to travel for treatment.”
Doctors still see an opportunity for his condition to improve if he receives specialized treatment including surgeries in the eyes and nerves and a corneal transplant, but the collapse of the health system and the Israeli siege dissipate the chances of treatment.
His father confirms that these services are not available inside the Strip, adding, “I want nothing from this world except for my son to return to see me and see his mother.”
Since the reopening of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in a limited manner last February, only about 700 patients have been able to leave Gaza for treatment, while more than 18,000 sick and wounded people are still waiting for medical evacuation, according to previous statements by the spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Raed al-Nims.
700 pieces of unexploded ordnance
Mohammed’s suffering coincides with the escalation of UN warnings regarding the risks of unexploded ordnance scattered throughout the Strip.
In April 2026, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) warned of the growing risks of these remnants two years after the war.
The department said that mine clearance teams have found, since October 2023, about 700 pieces of unexploded and dangerous ordnance during assessment operations, noting that they received reports of 470 victims due to the explosion of these remnants, with expectations that the actual numbers are higher due to lack of reporting.
The United Nations called for the removal of mines and unexploded ordnance to support the needs of the population and pave the way for any future reconstruction process.
On the other hand, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, Mahmoud Basal, estimated the presence of about 71,000 tons of explosives and unexploded Israeli military remnants in the Gaza Strip.
UN reports indicate that the Israeli army dropped more than 120,000 tons of explosives on the Strip during the war, varying between bombs, missiles, artillery shells, and mines, at a time when Palestinian fears are escalating regarding the continued danger of these remnants, with the limited capabilities of the teams specialized in removing them, and the repeated targeting of crews working to neutralize them.
