From Wedding Stage to Wheelchair: Gaza War Changes Lives of Abdullah and Diya

International Desk: PNN

Once, Abdullah Nattat, 30, spent his days singing at weddings and entertaining children. Festive seasons were his busiest times. Today, however, he is confined to a wheelchair with both legs amputated.

During Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza last September, Abdullah was displaced from Beit Lahia to a shelter in Gaza City. While returning from the market, he was severely injured in an airstrike. Upon regaining consciousness, he learned that both his legs had been amputated above the knees.

Abdullah stated, “After the explosion, I remember nothing. When I opened my eyes, everything was smoke and blood. I tried to stand, but couldn’t. That’s when I realized my life had changed forever.”

His cousin Diya Abu Nahl, also 30, faces similar struggles. Previously, they worked together in entertainment events. In July, an airstrike directly hit their family home, killing Diya’s wife and two daughters, and leaving one of his legs amputated and the other severely injured.

Diya still recalls the horror of that night: “Everything ended in my sleep. When I woke up, all I saw was screaming and destruction. My leg was gone, but the greatest loss was my wife and children.”

They now live together in Sheikh Radwan, northern Gaza. Shared suffering has brought them closer. Abdullah says, “Seeing others in Gaza suffering makes my own pain feel slightly lighter.”

Despite a ceasefire, the lack of medical care and rehabilitation in Gaza is stark. Prosthetic limbs and long-term therapy are not easily accessible. Cold weather, weakness, and dependency create daily challenges.

Yet, Abdullah and Diya share one dream: to walk again. Abdullah says, “Every night before sleeping, I imagine my legs. I wake up thinking I will walk again.”

War has broken their bodies and taken their families, but hope remains. They aspire to receive treatment abroad and start life anew on their own feet.

Source: Al Jazeera