Gaza strip: From his wheelchair in a makeshift tent in the central Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Saeed Abu Foul, 28, calls on his younger brother to hand him a glass of water. He has lost all direct connection with the world around him since he was blinded ten months ago due to torture he endured inside Israel's infamous Sde Teiman camp.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, during his detention, Abu Foul, along with hundreds of other prisoners he encountered, was subjected to severe physical abuse. The worst moment, he recalls, was when a soldier struck his head with a metal chair about six weeks after his arrest.
Abu Foul described losing his sight when a soldier grabbed his head and smashed his forehead several times against an iron chair. He recounted seeing a flash of white light before losing consciousness. When he awoke, his vision was gone, and his eyelids have since fused shut, oozing blood and tears. Despite pleading for medical help, prison authorities only provided minimal treatment, ignoring his persistent pain.
Now living with his family in a small tent in Al-Zawaida, Abu Foul has faced repeated displacement due to conflict, leaving him near a garbage dump amidst unsanitary conditions. His abduction occurred on December 27, 2024, alongside more than 200 others at Kamal Adwan Hospital, leading to his eventual detention and torture at various military sites.
Having lost his leg 12 years ago in an airstrike, Abu Foul endured further humiliation and physical abuse in detention, including being beaten, deprived of mobility, and subjected to degrading treatment. His father, Saeed Abu Foul, expressed concerns over the lack of medical resources in Gaza, which prevents a proper diagnosis and treatment for his son's condition.
Abu Foul was released on October 13 as part of a ceasefire agreement but remains hopeful for treatment that could restore his sight. Despite the challenges, he dreams of regaining independence and seeing the world around him once more, while his father holds onto the hope that someone might offer help to restore his son's vision.
