A Boy Injured in Clashes in Gaza, Reported by Reuters

GAZA (Reuters) – Two weeks after a projectile struck his right eye during a protest along the Gaza border, 12-year-old Mohammad An-Najjar has learned that he will never regain his sight in that eye.

Lamia Abu Harb, Najjar’s mother, mentioned that Palestinian medics indicated her son might require a glass eye. A doctor who treated Najjar confirmed that his retina was irreparably damaged in the incident that occurred on January 11. The painful moment was captured on camera by a photographer.

Prior to that Friday, the week had been one of the quietest in nine months of protests. Najjar and his friends had left their homes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, to join a nearby border protest, an activity they regularly engaged in during weekends.

Najjar stated he did not participate in throwing stones or setting tires on fire, explaining he went out with friends simply "out of boredom."

When the photographer arrived at the scene, he took a position he believed was safe, having become familiar with the area. As tensions escalated between the protesters and Israeli troops, witnesses reported that soldiers fired on demonstrators who retaliated by throwing stones and rolling burning tires toward the fence.

The photographer switched between lenses for distance and close-up shots, documenting the scene. Some protesters covered their faces with T-shirts to shield against tear gas while others fled.

The first indication that something was wrong came when onlookers began shouting “An injury, an injury,” the photographer recalled. He continued capturing images, one of which showed a man carrying a boy whose eye was bleeding while he cried out in pain.

"I still find some images shocking," the photographer remarked, recalling how he whispered to himself, "The boy lost an eye."

Najjar described the moment he was struck: "I just wanted to turn around and run when something hit my eye. It was hard and painful."

Doctors determined he was hit by a tear gas canister. His mother withheld the severity of his condition for two weeks until during a checkup, Najjar overheard doctors discussing his impending loss of sight.

Due to Najjar’s age and the extent of his injury, medical professionals indicated he might need treatment outside of Gaza. Israel does allow some seriously ill Palestinians to cross into Israel for medical care, but no application has yet been submitted. Health officials stated they were still working on the necessary paperwork for a formal request for travel.

Harb, a mother of four, expressed her hopes, saying, "I wish there was some hope. Doctors told me there isn’t, but I hope we can get him out of Gaza for treatment."

An Israeli military spokeswoman did not provide information on specific incidents from January 11 but referenced statements that day indicating troops faced around 13,000 "rioters" in various locations along the Gaza-Israel border. Some demonstrators reportedly used hand grenades and explosives, leading to one soldier being lightly injured and subsequently hospitalized. The military described their response as appropriate measures for riot dispersal in accordance with engagement rules.

The protests are driven by demands for an end to the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza, home to approximately two million Palestinians, as well as the right to return for those displaced during the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Israel accuses the ruling Islamist group Hamas of orchestrating the protests to create cover for hostile actions and divert attention from the dire economic situation in Gaza. Hamas has denied these accusations.