Gaza Boy, 13, Loses Leg After Israeli Soldiers' Shooting and Torture

A 13-year-old boy from Gaza has lost his leg after being shot by Israeli soldiers while gathering wood. Mahmoud al-Dura, who once dreamed of playing football, now faces a life of pain and uncertainty. His family, like many in Gaza, has nowhere else to go.

On 25 October 2025, Mahmoud was collecting firewood with friends in Bureij refugee camp when soldiers opened fire. A bullet struck his right leg, leaving him severely wounded. Four days later, doctors amputated the limb above the thigh.

After the shooting, Mahmoud was left behind as his friends fled. Soldiers approached him, asking if he was related to Jamal al-Dura, the father of Muhammad al-Dura—a boy killed in 2000. Instead of receiving help, he was tied to a wooden board and taken away in a tank. For nine hours, Mahmoud endured torture at a detention facility. Soldiers bound his injured leg with metal wires, pressed on the wound, and kicked it while drinking Coca-Cola. Eventually, they released him, dumping his battered body on the eastern side of Netzarim Road. Now, Mahmoud lies on the floor of his family's damaged home, which could collapse at any moment. With 90 percent of Gaza's population displaced, his family has no other place to stay. His only hope is to one day get a prosthetic leg.

Mahmoud's life has changed forever since the shooting. Once a football-loving child, he now faces a future of limited mobility and constant pain. His family remains trapped in a crumbling home, with few options for survival.