Palestinian toddler with severe burns denied critical care under Gaza blockade

GAZA, PALESTINE - AUG. 18, 2025: A two-year-old Palestinian toddler, severely injured in an Israeli strike on a Gaza school, is being deprived of life-saving medical treatment due to Israel’s ongoing blockade. Mohammed Ramez Hajila sustained deep burns when bombs struck the Mustafa Hafez School in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, where his displaced family had sought shelter. Debris and flames tore through the school, burning large parts of his body and head. Although his family managed to rescue him, the child remains in urgent need of specialized treatment unavailable in Gaza. “His head remains badly burned and has not healed. He still needs daily wound dressings under anesthesia. Half of his scalp was burned, and doctors still don’t know whether he will require additional skin grafts or artificial implants. His condition is unstable, with a high risk of infection,” his mother told Anadolu. Israel’s blockade has left hospitals critically short of medical supplies and prevented transfers for advanced care abroad, leaving the toddler without essential treatment. “Medicines and supplies must be allowed into Gaza. Otherwise, my son must be transferred abroad for treatment. We ask the world not to look away — to help our children, to give them the care they so desperately need,” his mother pleaded. Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. (Footage by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)