Education activist Malala Yousafzai has drawn attention to the trauma faced by a young Palestinian girl amid Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza. In an Instagram story, Malala shared the heartbreaking story of the girl, who has lost her hair due to the intense stress and trauma caused by the conflict. Malala called for an immediate ceasefire to protect innocent lives.
“This is the trauma Palestinian girls are enduring under Israel’s bombardment—no peace, no school. We need a ceasefire now to protect these children’s lives,” Malala Yousafzai wrote.
The Pakistani Nobel laureate has consistently raised her voice for the rights of Palestinian children and condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza, especially those targeting educational institutions.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, 8-year-old Sama Tabil shared her story, describing how she once adored her hair, but now faces ridicule for her baldness caused by the stress of the ongoing conflict. With tears in her eyes, Sama expressed her wish to travel abroad for treatment so she could “be beautiful again.”
In the heartbreaking video, Sama, a diligent student, recalled how she used to style her hair every day before going to school. Her life was upended when she and her family were displaced after an Israeli assault on their camp in Rafah.
Sama recounted how she and her family were asleep when the attack began, waking to the terrifying sounds of gunfire and explosions. Several days later, her hair began to fall out.
Sama’s mother described the devastation they witnessed, with dead bodies and ruins left in the aftermath of the bombardment. The constant fear and lack of security have only deepened the trauma for her daughter, stripping away her childhood.
In the Khan Younis camp, other girls tease Sama, calling her bald and comparing her to a cancer patient, which deeply hurts the young girl. Due to the shortage of medicine, doctors in Gaza are unable to provide her with the necessary treatment.
UNICEF has warned that children in Gaza are facing a mental health crisis amid the ongoing violence.
