LONDON: A video of a 7-year-old Palestinian boy with visual impairments crying over his shattered glasses drew tens of millions of views this week, reigniting outrage over the conditions facing children with disabilities in Gaza, where Israel’s blockade and more than two years of war have left thousands without access to basic healthcare.
The footage of Ayoub Junaid threw into sharp relief the plight of children with visual impairments across the territory, where eye examinations, corrective lenses and specialist surgery have become virtually impossible to obtain.
Ayoub has suffered from severe corneal damage and neurological complications since the age of 2, making specialized optical wear an ongoing necessity for his daily functioning.
He has since received a new pair of glasses following the clip spreading online, but his mother said the prescription is incorrect and that surgery — currently unavailable in Gaza — remains urgently needed to prevent permanent vision loss.
“We were preparing to travel for treatment, but the war started and everything stopped,” his mother, Eman Junaid, told The Guardian in an interview published on Friday.
Like 1.9 million other Palestinians — roughly 85 percent of Gaza’s population — Ayoub and his family were displaced by the conflict. They now live in a tent in the Gaza City port area.
At the end of April, while walking along a rubble-strewn road with a family member, Ayoub fell and struck his face on the ground, breaking his glasses.
“He burst into tears, rolled on the ground and desperately tried to piece them back together,” his mother said.
“For Ayoub, those glasses were everything. Even with them, he cannot see clearly and often has to hold objects just inches from his face. But without them, he can barely move around at all.”
At the end of April, while walking along a rubble-strewn road with a family member, Ayoub fell and struck his face on the ground, breaking his glasses. (Getty Images/File)
In the days that followed, Ayoub rarely left a corner of the tent, unable to move without help. Relatives repeatedly tried to repair the glasses, but the lenses were beyond fixing.
After the video spread globally, a Gaza-based influencer launched a fundraising drive that helped the family obtain a replacement pair.
Ayoub’s condition has since shown some improvement, with his family saying he has become more willing to interact with those around him.
Doctors have advised the family to limit his physical activity, warning that any fall or blow could cause further damage to his retinas.
The case has drawn attention to a wider crisis in Gaza’s healthcare system. Health officials say the war has decimated eye-care services across the territory, with severe shortages of medical equipment and surgical supplies leaving thousands of patients without treatment.
Hospitals are lacking surgical microscopes and phaco machines. More than 2,800 patients are waiting for cataract surgery alone, while the total backlog for eye procedures — including corneal transplants, glaucoma operations and reconstructive surgery — exceeds 4,000 cases.
Health officials also say around 4,000 children are in urgent need of medical evacuation.
Israeli bombardment near medical facilities has also forced the temporary closure of Gaza City’s Government Eye Hospital, the territory’s only public eye care center.
“The current situation clearly shows a shortage in all medical consumables and surgical tools,” said Dr. Hussam Dawoud, a senior ophthalmology consultant and director of the hospital.
“Currently, we are providing services at around 60 percent of what we used to offer before the war. The main reason is that Israel is preventing the entry of medical equipment and surgical instruments.”
Doctors have also reported a sharp rise in severe corneal infections, which they attribute to overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation and limited access to medication, with some patients suffering permanent vision loss as a result.
Israel’s Defence Ministry Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories denied restricting medical supplies.
“Israel is working to allow and facilitate the entry of all required medical equipment and continues to facilitate the entry into Gaza of trucks carrying medical supplies without any quantitative restrictions,” it stated.
