Gaza Metropolis – An Israeli sniper shot my six-year-old sister at a household buddy’s marriage ceremony in northern Gaza throughout the ceasefire on November 3.
Within the Daraj quarter, removed from the Israel-controlled yellow space, Sundus was taking part in on the primary flooring of a marriage corridor with different youngsters, glad along with her new garments, whereas the marriage itself was going down upstairs.
Immediately, she collapsed.
Shouts stuffed the corridor on the second flooring. Bullets whistled loudly among the many visitors. One bullet hit the bridesmaid within the jaw, and one other hit the groom’s cousin in her shoulder. The bride’s white costume turned purple — the marriage stopped earlier than anybody danced.
Maria, my seven-year-old sister, got here working. “Sundus is sleeping on the bottom and gained’t get up.”
Mum ran to the primary flooring, looking in every single place for Sundus, however discovered solely a pool of blood. Her telephone rang, “We’re within the Baptist Hospital [al-Ahli Arab Hospital]. Come rapidly,” her brother Ali mentioned.
“An Israeli sniper shot the kid Sundus Hillis within the head,” the information circulated as we had been on the way in which to the hospital. We knew nothing about our toddler.
After we arrived, Sundus was mendacity in a hospital mattress. Blood coated her stunning face, staining the make-up and the colorful garments she had been overjoyed to put on.
“Sundus, oh love. Get up,” Mum begged her, however she solely groaned weakly.
“Two bullets in her head,” a nurse inspecting Sundus’s damage advised Mum.
Two holes, one bullet, and a few elements of the mind misplaced, the medical report confirmed.
Within the ICU
Sundus was moved to Al-Shifa Hospital.
Earlier than she entered the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the neurosurgeon tapped her proper hand – she unconsciously moved it. However when he tapped her left hand and leg, nothing moved.
Sundus underwent a three-hour-long surgical procedure and remained within the ICU. We had been permitted to go to for less than quarter-hour. Once I first entered the room, the physician guided me to a baby with a swollen face and a bandaged head, tubes in every single place, who bore little or no resemblance to my stunning Sundus.
Someday handed, and Sundus was nonetheless saved within the ICU till one other affected person in crucial situation wanted the mattress, and she or he was moved to the inpatient ward.
She lastly awoke after two days, unable to see or transfer the left aspect of her physique. Regardless of how a lot I talked to her, the one response I acquired was loud cries.
She was rubbing her face, attempting to have a look at something however failing. “My eyes are crossed … I can’t see something. Why have you ever made me like this?” she would shout.
The marriage she had been wanting ahead to for days had disappeared from her reminiscence. In her thoughts, she remains to be sleeping in our cousins’ shelter, the place she was earlier than the marriage corridor.
Sundus, who used to chatter on a regular basis, might now solely groan weakly. I used to make her draw only for a second of quiet, however now I attempt to get her to talk, and she or he cries.
Dad, too, who used to complain, begs her to make noise, however we get nothing besides: “Cease speaking. My head hurts.”
“Why have you ever buried me alive?” she as soon as shouted at Mum, after agonising, futile makes an attempt to roll over within the hospital mattress.
Hung by blockade
Just a few days after the surgical procedure, Sundus was in a position to really feel the brightness of sunshine. She was in a position to see apparitions typically; at different instances, she was unable to see in any respect.
When she sensed the frustration in our voices, she began guessing. That the purple butterfly was blue or that the pink doll was a pink rose.
I noticed Sundus get offended at herself as a result of she couldn’t transfer, then burst into tears – it’s a loop she suffers every day.
The neurosurgeon had no clear solutions for us once we requested whether or not she would return to her regular self. A easy “inshallah” was his reply for all questions.
We needed to face him a number of instances with particular inquiries to get a transparent reply.
“She wants bodily remedy, and it’s as much as God whether or not she is going to regain her mobility or not … her imaginative and prescient will enhance to a sure extent, however it gained’t return to the way it was,” he mentioned.
Sundus didn’t cease moaning in ache, and the hospital didn’t have correct assets. We needed to scour the streets for painkillers and different issues for her.
Someday, I wanted to discover a medical cap to cowl her wound – however discovered nothing in 4 pharmacies, strolling by way of destroyed streets. One other time, I wanted surgical gauze and will solely discover one other type, however she wanted something, urgently, so I had to purchase what I discovered.
I attempted each worldwide organisation to assist get her out of Gaza. I despatched her medical stories to anybody who may have the ability to assist – all to no avail.
Sundus heard discuss of evacuation and began to dream of having the ability to transfer and see once more.
“The injury is completed. Regardless of the bullet broken can’t be repaired by a surgeon,” a overseas physician advised us through messaging after he checked out Sundus’s data remotely, and our final little bit of hope was shattered.
Her situation deteriorated because the medical care was restricted within the destroyed hospital. Her damage grew to become contaminated and wanted one other surgical procedure, through which she misplaced a major quantity of blood.
It felt like Israel shot Sundus, then used the blockade to tighten a rope round her neck.
![Sundus in the wheelchair at Al-Shifa Hospital [Courtesy of Eman Hillis]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Sundus-in-the-wheelchair-at-Al-Shifa-Hospital-1765272805.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C578&quality=80)
Evading demise
For 2 years, we’ve been making not possible selections to keep away from damage to anybody within the household.
When Israel issued warnings to the north of Gaza, we evacuated to the south. When Israel warned of a floor operation in Khan Younis, we evacuated to Rafah.
When the bottom operation in Rafah was introduced, we rushed to Deir el-Balah. We solely returned to northern Gaza because the truce took impact in January 2025.
We slept within the streets, sheltered from bombs beneath the skinny cloth of tents. For months, we endured hunger, not approaching assist drops or the Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF).
Besieged Palestinians in Gaza know what harsh destiny awaits them when injured.
We felt like we owned the land when the ceasefire took impact, feeling fortunate to have misplaced solely our residence and suffered from malnutrition. Then an Israeli sniper took that reduction from us.
What did little Sundus do for the Israeli soldier to shoot her within the head? We’re supposedly in a ceasefire.
Mockingly, my pals in every single place, as an alternative of condemning the capturing, first requested me if Sundus had been within the “yellow space” that’s held by Israel.
All of the instances we practically died whereas attempting to remain within the “secure zone” crossed my thoughts as I repeated that she was not, sharing the placement of the marriage corridor with tens of individuals.
Capturing a six-year-old little one is a warfare crime.
Nevertheless, it didn’t even make the headlines.
It was nothing out of the extraordinary in Gaza.
Sundus was not fortunate sufficient for the world to sentence her capturing and even to get correct medical care.
