Injured Palestinian Girl Hopeful For Recovery In Türkiye

The family of an 11-year-old Palestinian girl, who was injured in an Israeli attack, has pinned hope on the treatment she will receive in Türkiye.

On Tuesday, Palestinian group Hamas announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to receive Rahaf Salman for treatment in Türkiye.

"The Turkish president graciously agreed to receive injured girl, Rahaf Salman, and her family for treatment in Türkiye," Hamas said in a statement.

According to Hamas, Rahaf Salman appealed on Monday for help to transfer her to Türkiye for treatment.

An Egypt-brokered cease-fire came into force last Sunday to end three days of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and retaliatory rocket fire.

The Israeli offensive left at least 45 Palestinians dead and injured over 360 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The girl's mother, Manal Salman, told Anadolu Agency that Rahaf Salman and her 13-year-old brother, Mohamed Salman, were "injured Saturday by an Israeli rocket that landed in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip."

Manal Salman also said the girl's feet and right hand had to be amputated.

She also suffered an abdominal injury, broke a collarbone and dislocated her shoulder. She also complains of eye problems.

Her brother was injured by shrapnel in the pelvis and chest. He also broke a knee and suffered a hand injury as well, the mother said.

The treatment in Türkiye, the mother said, will help Rahaf Salman become self-reliant through prosthetic limbs.

Life-changing moment

The girl went to look for her brother on Saturday evening to tell him the family will eat dinner together, the mother said.

The family decided to gather for dinner to ease the anxiety caused by the Israeli attacks.

"We heard the sound of an explosion very close to our home," the mother said, adding that she rushed to the blast site.

She saw her son bleeding, but could not locate her daughter.

Over the course of two hours, family members searched for Rahaf Salman.

Little did the parents know, their daughter was rushed to hospital by bystanders.

My husband "searched for her in the hospital and could not recognize her due to the terrible injury that she suffered," she said.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Rahaf Salman's face was covered in blood because of the shrapnel wounds, while the rest of her body "was shredded," according to her mother.

Despite being in immense pain, the girl greets visitors at the hospital "with a smile and thanks."

My daughter wants to study medicine when she grows up, the mother said. "But how can she study when she is in this condition?"

*Writing by Bassel Barakat -