Fulla Al-Laham was wounded in an Israeli strike that killed 14 members of her family (Picture: Reuters)
This is the heartbreaking moment a four-year-old girl opened her eyes after at a hospital only to learn that she is the sole survivor of a bombing in Gaza.
Fulla Al-Laham woke up all alone in Khan Younis’ hospital where she was rushed by rescuers from the mountain of ruins that was once her home.
All 14 members of her family, including her mum, dad and siblings, were killed in the attack.
Their building was targeted as part of Israel’s wave of attacks on southern Gaza.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Seeing her granddaughter with her eyes open brought a brief moment of joy for Um Muhammed Al-Laham, who lost her son and extended family during the air strike.
She said: ‘All of a sudden and without warning, they bombed the house on top of the residents inside. No-one survived except my grandchild Fulla.’
Um Muhammed has witnessed many wars between Hamas and the Israeli military over the years, but she says this is the toughest.
’14 people martyred, no-one was left except Fulla,’ she said. ‘She does not talk, nothing, just lays in her bed and they give medicine.’
Fulla’s grandmother caring for her in the hospital (Picture: Reuters)
In a twisted way, little Fulla is considered lucky.
Gaza authorities said more than 2,450 people have been killed since last Saturday, with a quarter of them children.
About 10,000 more have been wounded as Israel continues to target civilian areas in its attempts to wipe out Hamas fighters.
Rescue workers have been working round the clock to search for survivors of air raids.
A lorry carries bodies wrapped in burial shrouds of the Abu al-Awf family, displaced from northern Gaza and killed in a home housing internally displaced Palestinians (Picture: AFP)
At the Kamal Edwan Hospital, where some children were attached to ventilators, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, stressed he will not evacuate despite warning from Israel.
‘If you want to kill us, kill us while we continue working here, we will not leave,’ he said.
‘We need days and weeks to secure another place. The situation is really dangerous.
‘Transferring these children from this place means handing them a death sentence.
‘They will die and this equipment only operates with electricity and oxygen.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.