GAZA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) — Every morning, 8-year-old Sama Tubail, a Palestinian girl in the Gaza Strip, checks her reflection in a broken mirror, hoping to see her hair growing back.
“It feels like my hair will never return. I’m so sad that I’ve lost it and become bald,” she said, her voice heavy with sadness.
Just five months ago, Tubail had long hair that she loved to style, drawing attention from her friends. Playing with them was her way of coping with the constant fear of Israeli attacks on Gaza.
But one day, her life changed abruptly. The Israeli army attacked a house near her family’s tent in Rafah, southern Gaza, forcing them to flee to the Indonesian Field Hospital.
“I woke up to the terrifying sound of a huge explosion. Before I could understand what was happening, my father grabbed me and my sister and ran into the streets, telling my mom to follow,” Tubail recalled.
“I could hear his heart racing. I was terrified, feeling like death was chasing us,” she said, her voice trembling. “We reached the hospital, thinking it was safe, but the army attacked its roof, and we spent the night under constant bombardment.”
Tubail and her family survived and moved to Khan Younis, another city in southern Gaza, hoping it would be safer. But the explosions continued, and the little girl lived in constant fear.
Not wanting to worry her parents, Tubail kept her fear to herself. A few days later, she was devastated to see her hair falling out in clumps. Unable to bear it any longer, she broke down and cried to her mother.
“In just three days, my child lost about 80 percent of her hair. I took her to many doctors, but they all said her treatment isn’t available in Gaza,” said Om Mohammed, Tubail’s mother.
“What did my child do to deserve this? No child should have to go through such a nightmare,” said the 39-year-old mother of three.
The hardest moment for Om Mohammed was when her daughter, in tears, asked if she had cancer.
“I can’t bear to see my daughter cry. I keep telling her that her hair will grow back and that she’s the most beautiful girl in the world,” her mother said.
With medical supplies in Gaza severely limited due to Israel’s ongoing siege, there is no treatment available for Tubail locally. Om Mohammed has appealed for help, hoping her daughter can be sent abroad for treatment.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza, following a Hamas attack on the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023.
As of Sunday, Gaza-based health authorities reported that the Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks has risen to 40,738.
“Children are paying a high price for this war,” said Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in Gaza.
“All the children in Gaza are suffering from psychological trauma, which is affecting their health and lives,” Shawa explained.
“Some children have developed various illnesses due to this trauma, and others, like Tubail, have lost their hair. This is a natural consequence of the harsh conditions they are enduring,” he added.
Tubail’s birthday is on Oct. 5. Her biggest wish is to have her hair grow back by then.
“Even if I can’t celebrate this year, I hope I can next year if the war ends and I can travel for treatment,” she said.