The Young Man Who Lost His Arms Yet Retained His Resilience

 The Young Man Who Lost His Arms Yet Retained His Resilience

Mahmoud Azur was transported from Gaza to Qatar following injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike in March of the previous year. Photo: Reuters

In 2024, amidst the ongoing airstrikes on Gaza, a drone attack by Israeli forces dramatically changed the life of a young Palestinian boy. Nine-year-old Mahmoud Azur lost both of his arms in a devastating explosion that obliterated his home in Gaza City. The poignant image of Mahmoud in the aftermath of this tragedy later earned the title of the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year, representing not only the toll of war but also the indomitable spirit of a child who refuses to surrender.

After the attack, Mahmoud was airlifted to Doha, Qatar, for urgent medical care. In an interview with Al Jazeera from his hospital bed, he recounted the moment of the explosion with remarkable composure: 

"Initially, I thought I had simply fallen to the ground. I was exhausted, lying down. But then I looked beside me and saw one of my arms. I didn’t even realize it was mine."

Israeli airstrikes targeted a tent housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Growing up in one of Gaza’s historic neighborhoods, Mahmoud's memories of that fateful day are deeply ingrained. He described the shock of comprehending that both his arms were gone. 

"My mother told me I lost both arms. When I heard that, I began to cry. I was devastated. I couldn’t grasp how I would continue living."

Due to a severe shortage of anesthesia and medical supplies, Mahmoud had to endure surgery while fully conscious. 

"They performed the operation while I was awake," he recounted. "I was screaming from the pain. My cries echoed throughout the entire hospital."

His injuries extended beyond the physical realm. The trauma of losing his limbs, the invasive procedures, and the haunting memories of death around him left invisible scars. However, Mahmoud is not alone; he is among thousands of children in Gaza who have endured life-altering injuries due to the relentless bombardment.

According to UNICEF, since October 7, 2023, more than ten children a day in Gaza have lost one or both legs, many of them without proper medical care. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described Gaza as the place with the “highest rate of child amputees per capita in the world.”

Despite it all, Mahmoud is trying to rebuild his life. In Doha, he’s attending school and learning to write using assistive devices. He uses his feet to play mobile games and put on clothes. But much of his daily life still depends on the help of others.

He remembers the simple things he used to do before the attack—going to the market, bringing vegetables for his mother.

"Everything is harder now—eating, going to the bathroom, getting dressed. But I try my best. I keep going. That’s how I survive."

Mahmoud dreams of returning to Gaza one day—not just to see his home again, but to help rebuild it. He wants to be part of the healing of his land.

       Displaced Palestinian children wait for food in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip. File photo: AFP

"We want to live in our land," he says. "We don’t want Israel to take it from us. We want the war to end."

His words cut deep: “People are dying there. Even our house was bombed. How am I supposed to live like this?”

The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing war, most of them women and children. At least 116,505 others have been wounded. The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and much of the region’s infrastructure—including hospitals—has been reduced to rubble.

But amidst the devastation, Mahmoud Azur stands as a symbol of resistance and hope. He may have lost his arms, but not his voice, not his dreams, and not his spirit.