As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate it's easy to lose sight of the constantly rising number of wounded soldiers alongside the rising death toll.
This presents a new question for both parties that question is "what now?" as the soldiers receiving these wounds have lost their limbs and in exchange have received uncertain futures.
In a recent piece from the Associated Press journalist Tia Goldenberg spoke of Israeli soldier Igor Tudoran who recently lost his leg due to a missile strike on his tank. However, not only did he lose his leg, but his aspiration to become an electrician may have been lost as well. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't those who wear these injuries with pride.
One of those people is Ben Hamou who also lost his leg after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his bulldozer which he was using to clear a path for soldiers. Hamou stated "I am not ashamed of the wound. I was wounded for the country in war inside Gaza. I am proud."
According to the head of the nonprofit Disabled Veterans Organization, Edan Kleiman "I have never seen a scope like this and an intensity like this. We must rehabilitate these people". Kleiman himself was also wounded during an operation in Gaza during the 1990s and has been boosting his organization's efforts to help as many people as possible.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the organization has been "Tripling its manpower, adding therapists and employees to help wounded veterans navigate bureaucracy and upgrade rehab centers". Kleiman predicted that the numbers are likely to reach 20,000 when those with PTSD are included stating that "If wounded soldiers don't receive the mental and physical care they need, including making their homes or cars accessible, it could stunt their rehabilitation and delay or even prevent their reentry into the workforce.
What Is Next?
In another statement, as reported by PBS, from Yagil Levy, a professor of political science and public policy at the Open University of Israel, Levy said "They add up. There could be a long-term impact if we see a big rate of people with disabilities that Israel must rehabilitate which can produce economic issues as well as social issues."
The rising toll of dead and wounded Palestinian civilians in Gaza as a result of this conflict should not be forgotten. Additionally, there have been countless displaced on top of injuries where the loss of limbs is just as common as it is for the soldiers of Israel. It's becoming more clear that the question of "what now" applies to everyone involved and while we are not able to hear the aspirations of every individual affected by this conflict that doesn't mean they don't have any at all.
Finally, in a statement to the Associated Press Idit Shafran Gittleman, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies said the following "There are wounded whose lives have been ruined. They will have to contend with their wounds their entire lives".
