A boy, his glasses, and a war: The story of Ayoub Junaid

The moment that moved millions

In late April, a seven-year-old Palestinian boy named Ayoub Junaid was walking along a rubble-strewn road in Gaza when he tripped and fell, shattering his glasses. The moment, captured on video by his mother, shows him crying, rolling on the ground, and desperately trying to piece the broken lenses back together. The clip has since been viewed by tens of millions of people across social and international media, drawing attention to the struggles of visually impaired children in the territory.

Ayoub suffers from severe nearsightedness, a condition that began when he was two years old after a fever illness. His mother, Eman Junaid, 30, who is displaced in the Gaza City port area, told the Guardian that a doctor initially said his vision would improve with age. Instead, it worsened, and the prescription he now requires is unavailable in Gaza. The family had been preparing to travel for treatment, but the war halted all plans.

Background and journey

For Ayoub, his glasses were everything. Even with them, he cannot see clearly and often holds objects just inches from his face. Without them, he can barely move. After the accident, he spent three or four days confined to a corner of his family’s tent, unable to walk without assistance. When he tried, he would crouch close to the ground, bringing his eyes near the floor to make out his surroundings. Relatives tried repeatedly to repair the glasses, but the damaged lenses could not be fixed.

His mother described the distress: “In the street, he was crying even more and saying he wanted to fix his glasses because he could not see without them.” Ayoub often asks her why he is different from other children, why he cannot move like them, and why he cannot go to school. The video she shared was filmed after they reached the tent; on the street, his crying was even more intense.

Why their story matters

Ayoub’s case is not isolated. Health officials in Gaza say the war has devastated eye care services, leaving thousands of visually impaired patients without treatment. Hospitals lack surgical microscopes and phaco machines. More than 2,800 patients are waiting for cataract surgery alone, and the total backlog for eye procedures—including corneal transplants, glaucoma operations, and reconstructive surgery—exceeds 4,000 cases. Israeli bombardment around medical facilities has forced the temporary shutdown of Gaza City’s Government Eye Hospital, the only public eye care centre in the territory.

Dr. Hussam Dawoud, a senior consultant in ophthalmology and eye surgery and the hospital’s director, said: “Currently, we are providing services at around 60% of what we used to offer before the war. The main reason is that Israel is preventing the entry of medical equipment and surgical instruments.” Doctors have also reported a sharp rise in severe corneal infections due to overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation, and limited access to medication, with some patients suffering permanent vision loss.

Public impact: A crisis among children

The situation is part of a broader humanitarian crisis affecting Gaza’s children. The territory now has more child amputees per inhabitant than anywhere else in the world. Tens of thousands of sick or injured young people need urgent medical treatment, and many requiring specialised care outside Gaza have yet to be evacuated. According to the latest figures from health officials, an estimated 4,000 children are in urgent need of medical evacuation.

After the video spread, donors helped Ayoub obtain a new pair of glasses, but his mother says they are still not the correct prescription he needs. He urgently requires surgery. His emotional state has shown signs of improvement—he is more willing to interact with visitors—but the underlying problem remains unsolved.

What lies ahead

For Ayoub, the new glasses are a temporary relief. His family hopes for a lasting solution, but the war and blockade continue to block access to proper eye care. The Government Eye Hospital remains shuttered, and medical supplies are scarce. Without a change in the situation, thousands of other children like Ayoub will continue to suffer. As his mother put it, “We were preparing to travel for treatment, but the war started and everything stopped.”

As reported by The Guardian.