After losing his mother, sibling and one leg in Gaza, Rateb Abu Qaliq used a makeshift pipe as a leg. He now receives a prosthetic and rekindles hope.
The story of resilience Eight-year-old Palestinian child Rateb Abu Qaliq from Khan Younis, Gaza lost his mother and brother in an air attack. His right leg was amputated. Yet amid loss and destruction, he showed a powerful act of self-determination: he fashioned a makeshift leg from a drainage pipe so he could walk again.
Making a pipe into a step With medical supplies scarce and the region’s hospitals overwhelmed, Rateb improvised. A plastic drainage pipe became his substitute leg, enabling him to join friends, chase a football and simply move around his displacement setting. The images circulated widely, becoming a symbol of both Gaza’s children’s vulnerability and ingenuity under siege.
A new prosthetic and renewed hope Recently, social-media posts and humanitarian-aid updates indicate that Rateb has received a proper prosthetic leg. This new device marks more than physical mobility—it is the restoration of a child’s right to play, grow and hope again. For Rateb and for families across Gaza, it is a step toward reclaiming childhood.
Broader significance & call to support Rateb’s journey reminds us that beyond headlines, thousands of children in Gaza face loss of limb, home and family. They need urgent medical devices, rehabilitation and psychological support. In sharing this story, we amplify their voices and encourage donors and relief agencies to prioritize prosthetics and child-focused care.
