Gaza Girl Undergoes 20+ Surgeries After Alleged Helicopter Strike

Raseel al‑Balawi, the six‑year‑old from Gaza’s al‑Mawasi camp, has been forced to undergo more than two dozen operations since a late‑July strike allegedly hit her makeshift tent. Witnesses claim the helicopter strike left deep injuries that now require daily surgical interventions to control infections that threaten to overwhelm the already strained local medical system.

Despite the tragedy, the Israeli military has denied any record of the attack and says it regrets “any harm to civilians.” The statement, however, belies the severity of Raseel’s condition, as doctors report her wounds repeatedly reopening and becoming life‑threatening.

BBC Eye Investigations followed Raseel and her family through the summer, documenting the day‑to‑day challenges that armies, bombings, and broken infrastructure impose on Gaza’s children. In addition to physical injuries, the lack of clean water, electricity, and reliable medical supplies has turned everyday survival into a test of resolve.

Raseel’s story is one of many that highlight the hidden battlefield of civilian life under siege. Each operation is not just a surgical act but a fight against the combative geometric erosion of hope that the ongoing conflict single‑handedly imposes on a young life.

See the full investigative series on BBC iPlayer for an in‑depth look at Gaza’s children under bombardment.