In Gaza, a long path to recovery for one woman who lost eye, and daughter

Nuseirat, Gaza Strip – When Najwa Abu Atiwi opened her eyes on October 11, 2024, after weeks in a coma, her first thought was not the extent of her injuries, but her desire to see herself. She knew that something significant had changed, but she did not understand how much her appearance had been altered after the Israeli air strike that hit her home in central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp.Najwa, now 42 years old, repeatedly asked those around her to let her see her face, but they delayed the moment, fearing the shock it would cause.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Five Palestinians killed in fire after Israeli attack in Gazalist 2 of 3‘Creeping death’: Israel weaponises ‘Yellow Line’ to annex Gazalist 3 of 3Key takeaways from Khalil al-Hayya’s first speech as Hamas leaderend of list“I kept asking to see what I looked like, but they would give me painkillers and medication to calm me down,” Najwa says.Later, doctors told her the truth: She had lost one of her eyes, and they were still trying to save the other, which had suffered internal bleeding.When she finally looked in the mirror for the first time, it was almost as if someone else was staring back. Her face, marked by sev...