In Gaza, a child's cry for water reveals deep human suffering
Dramatic footage emerges of a small Palestinian boy, half buried under rubble, asking for water, exposing brutality of Israeli military onslaught in blockaded Palestinian enclave.
Amidst the chaos of Israeli bombardment, a haunting moment has unfolded as rescuers approach a child trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in northern Gaza. / Photo: TRT Arabi
"Where is my water? I am thirsty," a boy stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building in Gaza with dust from concrete all over his body said as soon as he saw rescuers around him to help save his life.
That spontaneous and extremely unsettling desire of a child victim of Israeli bombardment and brutality in northern Gaza was captured by many cameras as rescuers approached him and spoke to him before pulling him from the rubble of a collapsed building.
"I had my wallet with me. I have 300 shekels in it to buy a bike," the seemingly 10-year-old child's desire was soul-shaking, and despite having roughly 80 percent of his body buried under the rubble, his video clip went viral on various social media platforms.
Palestinian search and rescue teams dug through the debris by hand, working tirelessly to save the boy, who had difficulty breathing with most of his body under the rubble.
The boy was later rescued as a result of intensive efforts of the rescue teams.
The boy, who had blood and cuts on his face, head, and back, told the rescuers, "Thanks Allah for saving my life."
The Palestinian boy asked the teams to look for his wallet in the debris.
"Beside me, I have money to buy a bicycle." A heartwarming dialogue between civil defense men and a child while trying to rescue him from under the rubble of his family's home, which was bombed by the Israeli occupation in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Sc9sVzZBSs
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Israel's bloody military offensive
To boost morale, a member of the search and rescue team asked the Palestinian child, "Should we feed you dinner now?"
The Palestinian child, whose joy was captured on camera as he was pulled from the rubble, was placed on a stretcher and transported for a health check.
The brave child's desire explains the situation in the besieged Gaza and what the Palestinians want the international community to do.
Israel has waged a bloody military invasion in Gaza for nearly six months.
More than 32,000 Palestinians have since been killed and some 75,000 wounded amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
A leading UN expert earlier this week confirmed that Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza.
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