How Teen Gazan With Down Syndrome Survived Israeli Bombs
New Delhi/Gaza: Ibrahim Hammad, a 16-year-old boy with Down syndrome, lived in Al-Zahra City in the middle of Gaza with his family of seven: parents, four older brothers, and himself. His parents, both professors at Al-Aqsa University, dedicated their lives to teaching, while one of his brothers, Hosam Abedalqader Hammad, pursued a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Life, though far from idyllic in the besieged Palestinian territory, was at least structured and predictable. The Hammads had moved to Al-Zahra from northern Gaza. To accommodate their large family, they built a three-story building, spending a huge portion of their savings on a home they could call theirs. Then, October 7 happened. The Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel and the offensive that followed decimated Gaza. A Family Displaced The Hammads’ recently constructed house, like so much else in Gaza, has been reduced to rubble. “When the war started, we were unable to move or go anywhere. Every place became dangerous – there is no safe space in Gaza, not even in schools or hospitals,” Hosam Hammad told NDTV. …
