At 12 an Israeli missile ripped off' her face. Now Mazyouna is safe in the US but not all the scars have healed

"In June 2024, an Israeli missile struck 13-year-old Mazyouna Damoo's apartment in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, hurling her and her mother into the street. Her younger sister, Tala, was pulled from beneath the rubble alive, but her other siblings Hala, 13, and Mohannad, 10 were killed instantly. Mazyouna survived, but half of her face was ripped off, leaving her jawbone exposed."

"With Gaza's hospitals overwhelmed and unable to provide advanced reconstructive surgery, her family's pleas last year for evacuation became desperate. For months, her parents appealed to the Israeli body overseeing humanitarian permits to allow Mazyouna to leave Gaza for treatment. Each request was either ignored or rejected. During this time, her wounds worsened, becoming infected, and fragments of shrapnel embedded in her face caused excruciating pain."

"After the Guardian reported on her ordeal, Israel finally permitted her to leave to get surgical care. Last November, Mazyouna, her mother and her surviving sister travelled to the US for her medical treatment, settling in El Paso, Texas. It has been almost a year since they moved into a home on a quiet, tree-lined street with views of the Franklin mountains, and the family have tried to adjust to life in the US as best they can."

In June 2024 an Israeli missile struck 13-year-old Mazyouna Damoo's apartment in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing two younger siblings and ripping away half of Mazyouna's face, exposing her jawbone. Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals could not provide advanced reconstructive surgery, and repeated humanitarian permit requests to Israeli authorities were ignored or rejected, allowing her wounds to worsen and shrapnel to cause intense pain. After international reporting prompted approval, Mazyouna, her mother and surviving sister traveled to the US for surgical care and resettled in El Paso, Texas, where Mazyouna has begun school, learned English and started rebuilding hopes for the future.

Read at www.theguardian.com