Thirteen-year-old Zakariya Barbakh Lived and Breathed for Hope of Lung Transplant, Drowned in Israel’s Occupation Warfare
Thirteen-year-old Zakariya Barbakh had endured a life defined by hospitals, doctor’s appointments, and the longing for a healthier life. Despite being born without a lung, he had yet to receive the transplant he required. The never-ending conflict and violence in his native Gaza led his family and medical professionals alike to believe his dream of leading a normal life would remain shattered. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, it seemed his prayers have finally been granted as a cessation of hostilities was announced; the last chapter in his survival saga was taking a dramatic turning point.
“No more hospitals… We can move to a quieter place,” the child’s optimistic remark to his mother, signified the bright ray of sunshine Zakariya envisioned for an easier life filled with the most basic human comfort – breathing healthily. These fleeting moments have vanished into tragic smoke as yet another victim joined the ever-lasting statistics of devastation and loss following his untimely demise via a sniper-felled bullet hole, mere blocks from his desired sanctuary.
Following an Israeli airborne strike on innocent civilian lives before the ceasefire period came into practice, the latest fatality figure stood at precisely 142 slain Palestinians, involving innocent women, and children between Wednesday and Thursday, according to Gaza’s medical records. To top it, there were many reported cases resulting from the aftermath, where these helpless civilians risked their security lives in hunt of food scraps amid the dangerous ‘buffer-zones’ published by the Jewish state.
Just another instance underlined the trepidation Palestinians felt while desperately attempting to obtain even the easiest daily necessities was illustrated by what had transpired between Zakariya and little As’ad Khalifa after both were brought back to full realization of Gaza’s relentless combat environment. To those who wish for peace yet fear for hope as they battle on for such hope, to this child will serve as painful memories. How does a simple request for oxygen prove so threatening in a context filled with loss?
