Video of blind Palestinian boy crying over broken glasses sparks global outcry

A video of a seven-year-old Palestinian boy in Gaza, Ayoub Junaid, crying over his broken glasses has drawn widespread international attention. Ayoub suffers from severe nearsightedness. After the clip was viewed by tens of millions, he received a new pair, but this does not solve the underlying issue: he urgently requires eye surgery.

Ayoub’s mother, Eman Junaid, said her son’s vision problems began at age two after a fever. Doctors thought his sight would improve, but it worsened, and the lenses he now needs are not available in Gaza. The family planned to travel for treatment, but the war halted everything.

Ayoub rarely leaves his tent and moves cautiously because doctors warned that a fall could damage his retinas. He often asks why other children don’t wear glasses and why he can’t move like them. In late April, while walking on rubble, he fell and broke his glasses, crying uncontrollably and trying to fix them. Without them, he could barely move. For three or four days, he stayed in a corner of the tent, unable to walk without help.

Although new glasses have brought some relief, they are not the correct prescription. Health officials in Gaza say the war has devastated eye care: over 2,800 patients await cataract surgery, and the total backlog for eye procedures exceeds 4,000. The only public eye hospital in Gaza City is closed due to bombing. Dr. Hussam Dawoud said Israel is blocking medical equipment, and services are at 60% of pre-war levels.

Thousands of children in Gaza suffer eye problems, many needing urgent medical evacuation. Surgeon Irdi Memaj noted that about 40% of patients at his clinic are children under 14, and there have been rising cases of parasite and rat infestations causing bites.

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories rejected accusations of restrictions, saying Israel facilitates the entry of medical supplies without quantitative limits.