Palestinian boy, 13, loses leg after Israeli soldiers shoot and detain him in Gaza
A 13-year-old Palestinian boy has lost his leg after being shot and detained by Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Mahmoud al-Dura was collecting wood with friends in Bureij refugee camp on 25 October 2025 when the incident occurred. His family now lives in a damaged home at risk of collapse, with no safe place to relocate.
Mahmoud was gathering firewood near his home when Israeli forces opened fire, hitting him in the right leg. His friends fled, but he was unable to move and was left behind. Soldiers approached, recognised him as the son of activist Jamal al-Dura, and dragged him away on a wooden board to a detention facility near the border.
During his nine-hour detention, Mahmoud was subjected to torture. Soldiers tied his wounded leg with metal wires, kicked him repeatedly, and drank Coca-Cola in front of him. They also showed him photos of his parents' ID cards, threatening to kill them and detain him as revenge for his father's activism. After his release, he was abandoned on the eastern side of Netzarim Road. Mahmoud was rushed to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where doctors amputated his right leg above the thigh. He remains in recovery, hoping to one day receive a prosthetic limb. His family, like thousands of others in Gaza, has no safe shelter. Their home is heavily damaged and at risk of collapse, yet they have nowhere else to go. Aid organisations like ADRA have provided winter support to 4,160 displaced people, but broader statistics on homelessness and coordinated relief efforts remain unclear.
Mahmoud now faces a long recovery after losing his leg and enduring detention. His family continues to live in an unstable, damaged home with no alternatives. The incident adds to the ongoing humanitarian challenges in Gaza, where many displaced families lack access to secure housing and medical care.
