Boy, 13, loses leg to Israeli gunfire, torture, and a life in ruins

Mahmoud al-Dura, a 13-year-old boy from Bureij refugee camp, was shot in the leg by Israeli soldiers while gathering wood with friends. His injury led to an amputation, torture in detention, and ongoing hardship for his family, who now live in a damaged home at risk of collapse.

On 25 October 2025, Mahmoud was collecting firewood near his home when soldiers opened fire, hitting his right leg. Bleeding heavily, he was left behind until soldiers approached, questioning him about his father, Jamal al-Dura—a man linked to past conflicts. They accused Mahmoud of being the son of a known activist before carrying him away on a wooden board.

At a detention facility near the border, Mahmoud endured roughly nine hours of torture. Soldiers tied his injured leg with metal wires, kicked him repeatedly, and taunted him with photos of his parents' ID cards. They drank Coca-Cola in front of him while threatening to kill his family and detain him indefinitely. His leg was amputated above the thigh on 29 October after his release from hospital. The trauma continued as, on 12 January 2025, the Israeli army demolished his family's five-story home in Bureij. A year earlier, on 17 January 2024, Mahmoud's brother Ahmad had been killed by a drone strike while returning from their aunt's funeral. Now, Mahmoud and his relatives remain in their damaged house, with no safe place to go. His only hope is to one day receive a prosthetic limb to replace what he lost.

Mahmoud's family faces homelessness in a half-destroyed building, their struggles compounded by past violence. The loss of his leg, the death of his brother, and the demolition of their home leave them with few options. His dream of a prosthetic limb remains uncertain as conditions in the camp worsen.