SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) - A campaign is underway to help a Gaza teenager who once received medical treatment in San Diego to survive the ongoing war.
In 2023, ABC 10News profiled the San Diego chapter of Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a nonprofit providing medical care and humanitarian aid to Palestinian children, some who have lost limbs. Now, one of these patients has spoken to us from Gaza about his daily struggle to survive.
Despite an unstable internet connection, Suzan Hamideh is happy whenever she can connect on a video call with 19-year-old Ibrahim Khattab, who lives with nine other family members in a partially bombed home in central Gaza.
"They become family, friends. We want to continue to support them," Hamideh said.
Hamideh leads the San Diego chapter of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, amid their mission to help children impacted by war.
The organization helped then 14-year-old Ibrahim, who was flown into San Diego in 2019 after he lost his leg in an Israeli air strike. He was fitted with a prosthetic and returned to Gaza months later.
Some five years later, Ibrahim spoke to us about his life since the bombing began two years ago. After living in a tent for a year, which Hamideh's group helped supply, Ibrahim's family recently moved back to their damaged home. Nearby, his grandparent's home was destroyed.
"Every day, we look for firewood to cook with, but it's hard to find. The relief groups distribute meals to us a few times a week, and we divide it between our family. Often we are hungry," Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim tells us he has lost more than 150 family and friends to the war. One bomb hit his neighborhood a month ago. The sound of bombs is still hard for him.
"Emotionally, I'm tired. The bombs are scary, and I think they are going to hit me again," Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim says he looks back on his time in San Diego as a happy time. The prosthetic he received here no longer fits. He does his best to help his family every day with chores around the house. Being happy is no longer possible.
"I don't see a future. I have no hope, no hope," Ibrahim said.
"How difficult is it to hear him say he has lost hope," I asked Hamideh.
"Very difficult. He’s young and has a life to live. I tell him, 'Be strong. Don't lose hope. Everyone here loves you.’ We hope this will end soon. They deserve to keep on dreaming to have beautiful lives," Hamideh said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help Ibrahim's family with food and other expenses. While medical equipment is hard to get into Gaza, Hamideh's group eventually hopes to fit Ibrahim with a new prosthetic.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
