Born during Israel’s genocide: Gaza’s child survivors bear the scars of war
Key takeaways
- Infants born at the outbreak of the conflict face a lifetime of disability from toxic gas, severe burns, and a collapsed healthcare system.
- Her arrival was met with joy by her mother, Samar Hammad, but that happiness lasted only a day.
- On October 8, as Nour rested in her mother’s arms, Israeli missiles struck nearby.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Infants born at the outbreak of the conflict face a lifetime of disability from toxic gas, severe burns, and a collapsed healthcare system.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Two-year-old Mohammed Abu Hajeela wears a facial pressure mask after sustaining severe third-degree burns in an Israeli strike on a school shelter in Gaza City in July 2025 [Al Jazeera]By Israa Tariq Al-Ramli and Mohammad Mansour Published On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026Nour Abu Samaan was born on October 7, 2023, just three hours before the start of what would become a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Her arrival was met with joy by her mother, Samar Hammad, but that happiness lasted only a day.
On October 8, as Nour rested in her mother’s arms, Israeli missiles struck nearby. The air thick with smoke and toxic gases, the newborn began to struggle for breath.