In Gaza, Maimed Legs Are a Badge of Honor—Until Reality Sets In
- About 6,500 Gazans have been shot in the leg at demonstrations
- International medical group says Gaza hospitals overwhelmed
Photographer: Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images
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Shrouded in a cloud of black smoke from burning tires in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Malalha was hit in the left leg by an Israeli army sniper.
In the hopelessness of Hamas-ruled Gaza, crutches are becoming badges of honor for Malalha’s generation in its war against Israel. Back from the hospital after multiple surgeries and physical therapy, young men are met by family and neighbors bearing cakes and candy, with high fives from their pals and their mothers ululating with pride.