8-year-old Jannat Mtour’s life was forever altered when an Israeli soldier’s bullet struck her, leaving her blind and shattered by trauma. Palestine Chronicle correspondent Fayha Shalah spoke to her family.
Jannat never imagined that her room would become the site of a terrifying memory that would change her life forever.
In a single moment, the Palestinian girl was subjected to a life-altering accident in her own room, losing her sight in both eyes, all because of Israeli army bullets.
Her life—and the life of her family—was completely turned upside down, forever shattering the dreams of this once cheerful, energetic girl.
Blood Everywhere
On February 11, Jannat Mtour, 8, was playing with her two younger brothers in their room when she heard the sound of the Israeli army storming her town of Sa’ir, east of Hebron (Al-Khalil).
As the eldest and only sister, driven by love and compassion, she rushed to get her 3-year-old brother Muhammad off the bed and away from danger. She then approached the window, intending to close it.
Her father, Faisal, was with her mother in the living room when they heard Jannat scream, her voice filled with terror. They rushed to her room and found her lying in a pool of blood.
“I saw a fountain of blood on my daughter’s head. I couldn’t see her face or features. Her two brothers were crying from the horror of the sight. She was crying and screaming for help. An Israeli soldier’s bullet had struck her while she was trying to close the window to protect her brothers,” Faisal told us.
Her father picked her up and ran outside, trying to get her to the nearest hospital. However, the Israeli soldiers had surrounded the house, blocking anyone from leaving. Faisal was forced to keep her on the stairs until the soldiers allowed them to depart.
More than half an hour later, they were finally given permission to leave—but without an ambulance. They had no choice but to use her uncle’s vehicle.
“Because there was a closed iron gate at the entrance to our town, we couldn’t reach the hospital in Hebron for another 20 minutes, taking longer alternative routes,” Faisal explained.
The Slow Healing Journey
After several tests, doctors discovered that the bullet had penetrated Jannat’s scalp, causing a deep wound. Fragments had also damaged her eyes, leading to the loss of her sight.
The left eye has no chance of recovery, while the right eye has a slim chance. These days are critical in determining its future.
“Jannat underwent multiple surgeries to remove the fragments. Afterward, the doctor told me there was little hope of her sight returning, even in one of her eyes. I felt a tear in my heart, and the tears wouldn’t stop,” Faisal added with sorrow.
The child endured numerous side effects from the injury, such as severe headaches lasting for hours, only manageable with painkillers that don’t always bring relief.
Another consequence of the injury was psychological trauma. Jannat’s love for her home and room turned into a constant fear. She even asked her father to buy a new house elsewhere.
“To this day, she hasn’t entered the room where she was injured, and she constantly asks us to keep its door closed. Even though she cannot see it, she feels deep fear because of what happened,” her father explained.
Her two younger brothers were also deeply affected by the shock. They cry whenever they see Jannat lying with bandages over her eyes, remembering the horrific sight of blood.
I Miss School
Jannat was the heart of the house, her spontaneous laughter, charming smile, and boundless energy lighting up every room. As the first child, she was especially dear to her parents, whose lives had shifted as they began helping her with everything.
She loved her teacher and was an excellent student in third grade, beloved by all her teachers. But after her injury, she was forced to stay at home for treatment.
“One day after her injury, she said to me, ‘I want to go back to school. I don’t like being away from it or my friends.’ Her words tore my heart apart. She doesn’t yet realize she has lost her sight and believes it’s temporary, which saddens us even more,” Faisal shared.
Despite her young age, Jannat used to help her mother care for her two brothers, who were very attached to her. Now, they all live in a tragic reality that they must face together.
“When the war on Gaza began and the Israeli army intensified its raids on villages and towns in the West Bank, I transferred Jannat from her school near an Israeli barrier, fearing for her safety in case of any confrontations. I never imagined that an Israeli bullet would pierce the window of her own room and strike her while she was at home,” her father said, his voice filled with sadness.
On the same day Jannat was injured, the Israeli army killed 19-year-old Abdullah al-Faroukh with a bullet to the chest and obstructed the ambulance from reaching him.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Fayha’ Shalash is a Ramallah-based Palestinian journalist. She graduated from Birzeit University in 2008 and she has been working as a reporter and broadcaster ever since. Her articles appeared in several online publications. She contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.
Almost every big media outlet has published the bullshit story of “babies beheaded or thrown in the oven by Hamas” which never happened. But when it comes to the atrocities commited by zionists pigs, this very same outlets publish nothing. Western media hypocricy at its finest. Free Palestine from these Zionist pigs.
Poor girl! still, she might save the world one day. The Palestinian and Gazan people are the strongest in the world. The Israeli occupiers are scum who need to be forcibly removed so they can never terrorize little children, ever again. How anyone can still side with ” Israel ” is beyond me. If they all die tomorrow, no one will miss them.
From The River To The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free. But not until ” Israel ” is defunded, destabilized and dismantled. Until then, there can be no peace.
Such an adorable little girl, and now her life has been completely ruined. As always, Israel’s horrifying savagery against Palestinian children never ends. Over the past 16 months, how many Palestinian children have either been severely injured or massacred by the genocidal Zionist occupation army? So many thousands of them!