Dead in Gaza and the Escalating Crisis of Hearing Impairments Due to Explosions

Israeli attacks continued on various areas in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the martyrdom of five Palestinians, two of whom succumbed to injuries sustained earlier. These field developments come amidst ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement, as drones and military outposts targeted civilian gatherings in the northern, central, and southern parts of the Strip.

Regarding the details of the field targeting, sources reported the martyrdom of a Palestinian and the serious injury of another after an Israeli drone dropped a bomb towards them in the Al-Atatra area. The attack occurred near the Sakhnin school northwest of Beit Lahia, where the victims were present in an area that had suffered extensive destruction in recent months.

In the central Strip, a young Palestinian man was martyred by the bullets of occupation forces stationed in the eastern areas of Deir al-Balah city. At the same time, medical teams recorded the martyrdom of a 16-year-old boy in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood northeast of Gaza City, after being directly shot in the area opposite Salah al-Din Mosque.

In Khan Yunis city to the south, medical sources announced the martyrdom of two new individuals who were receiving treatment for previous injuries sustained during military operations. This new toll raises the number of victims of occupation violations since the start of the ceasefire agreement to 576 martyrs and over 1500 injured, threatening the stability of the fragile truce.

Beyond direct injuries, a severe health and humanitarian crisis has emerged, with thousands of Palestinians losing their hearing due to pressure waves from high-explosive bombs. Initial medical estimates indicate that approximately 35,000 people in the Gaza Strip currently suffer from hearing loss or severe impairment, placing an additional burden on the dilapidated healthcare system.

Three-year-old child Lujain is an example of this suffering, having lost about 70% of her hearing ability due to the successive explosions that shook her residential area. The child's family faces severe difficulties in securing her treatment and rehabilitation journey amidst the destruction of specialized care centers in the southern Strip and the absence of necessary technical capabilities.

For his part, Lujain's father explained that the rehabilitation process requires advanced medical equipment not currently available in Gaza, noting that the high costs fall entirely on the families. He added that the treatment journey, which began three months ago, faces significant obstacles, most notably the lack of assistive devices and the difficulty of accessing specialized examination centers.

In a related context, child Karam Raihan lost more than half of his hearing ability after his eardrum ruptured due to an Israeli shelling that targeted an area near his location. His family recounts a long struggle to find suitable hearing aids, given the scarcity of centers that provide maintenance and periodic examination services for people with hearing disabilities in the Strip.

Fadl Karaz, an activist in the field of rights for people with hearing disabilities, confirmed that the number of people suffering from hearing loss has doubled alarmingly during and after the war. Karaz stressed the urgent need for international and local efforts to pressure the occupation authorities to allow the entry of medical hearing aids and necessary spare parts for their maintenance, which have been banned since October 2023.

International reports indicate that the destruction that affected 90% of civilian infrastructure in Gaza also included specialized health centers and medical laboratories. The United Nations estimates the cost of rebuilding what the war destroyed at about 70 billion dollars, an amount that reflects the scale of the catastrophe that has befallen the Strip over two years of intense fighting.

Hearing impairments resulting from the war are not just physical injuries, but a long-term social and educational barrier, especially for children who need early intervention. With continued Israeli restrictions on crossings, thousands of injured people remain deprived of their right to treatment and access to assistive devices that could save what remains of their senses.

In conclusion, the heavy toll of the two-year war, which left more than 72,000 martyrs and 171,000 injured, remains a testament to the scale of the humanitarian tragedy. With every new violation of the ceasefire, the list of victims grows, and wounds deepen in a society trying to pick up its pieces amidst the rubble of destroyed homes and vital facilities.

Medical estimates indicate that approximately 35,000 people have suffered from hearing loss or severe impairment due to the massive pressure waves caused by the explosions.