DaysofPal— Beneath the rubble of an Israeli airstrike, six-year-old Sila Abu Aqlain lost everything, her parents, her sisters, and her right leg.
Today, she clings to life as the sole survivor of her family, holding on to a simple dream: to walk again.
Described by relatives as the “butterfly of the family,” Sila once filled her home with joy, play, and laughter.
That life was shattered on December 3, 2023, when an intense Israeli bombardment struck her neighborhood in al-Zeitoun, southeast of Gaza City.
According to her aunt and foster mother, Yasmin al-Ghafri, the family was inside their third-floor apartment when the area came under heavy fire.
A nearby house was hit, triggering a series of explosions, including a car blast beneath the building. The explosion sent debris, metal, and fire into their home.
“Sila was buried under the rubble, with her mother covering her in her final moments,” Yasmin said. “Only one of her legs was visible.”
Within minutes, Sila’s parents, Ibtisam and Rafea Abu Aqlain, along with her two sisters, Lily, aged two and a half, and five-year-old Saba, were killed. Sila survived, but was severely injured.
She was rushed under fire to the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, while the bodies of her family remained trapped under the rubble for four days before relatives could retrieve and bury them.
Sila underwent months of medical treatment. Initially, doctors attempted to save her injured foot, but complications, including gangrene, led to the amputation of her right leg up to the knee.
“Her life is tragic beyond words,” Yasmin said, explaining that Sila now lives with her grandmother in a small, unsuitable rented apartment after losing their home.
The young girl moves between crutches and a wheelchair. She continues to suffer pain, and doctors have indicated she may need further surgery on her amputated limb.
Efforts are underway to secure travel for Sila to receive a prosthetic leg, but restrictions and difficult conditions make it challenging.
The family is also struggling financially, with no steady income to cover her medical needs, education, or daily care.
“I just want her to travel, get a prosthetic, and live her life again,” Yasmin said.
Sila, speaking softly through tears, said she misses playing with her sisters and going out with them. “I want to be with them again,” she said.
Despite everything, she still dreams of becoming a doctor one day. But for now, her hope is much simpler: “I wish I could have a leg.”
Sila’s story reflects a broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hundreds of children have suffered life-altering injuries.
According to official figures, around 864 children have undergone amputations during the war, while more than 55,000 children have been orphaned.
As she sits in a narrow courtyard, leaning on her crutches, Sila carries both unbearable loss and fragile hope, living on the edge of life.
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