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Belal Abu Sakran needs the assistance of a crutch for walking. /CGTN Photo
"The medics couldn't get to me. There was so much tear gas and the Israeli army kept shooting every time anyone tried to get close to me. Eventually, I passed out," said Belal Abu Sakran.
The Gazan thought his leg had been cut in half by the bullet and when he finally arrived at the hospital, he heard medical professionals saying "amputate."
But medical teams found enough viable blood flow to keep the leg intact, perform surgery and insert metal pins and plates in his leg.
That was five months ago.
Belal Abu Sakran and other injured young men. /CGTN Photo
He'll never be 100% again
Three times a week a Medecins Sans Frontières (MSN) van takes Belal from his home to physical therapy that lasts roughly an hour. The whole process, according to Belal, is "grueling."
The medical waiting room is filled with injured young men with crutches resting by their sides and metal pins protruding from their legs.
An estimated 6,500 Gazans have been injured at the Gaza-Israel border during weekly anti-Israel protests that started in March 2018.
A March report issued by the UN Human Rights Council cited Israel's military for "unlawful use of lethal force" against protesters.
Earlier this year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed an accusatory finger at Hamas for "provoking and escalating" the situation between the sides.
Supervising MSN physician Dr. Ahmed Abu Warda says Belal's leg will never be fully functional.
A March of Return protest on the border between Gaza and Israel. /CGTN Photo
The March of Return
Belal and multiple thousands of people like him were injured during the March of Return protests along the Gaza-Israel border. The aim of the protests is to pressure Israel's government into lifting a land, air and sea blockade on Gaza and reclaim the land they say is theirs.
"We go there for our homeland. To return to lost land. It's about dignity. Everyone goes to defend the land occupied by the Jews," said Belal.
Peace? Maybe... But "we're at war with Israel and America."
Belal doesn't believe there will be peace with Israel until "Israel leaves our land and the people go back to the countries they came from."
He is focused on healing and hopes surgery could enable him to "walk normally again."
"My entire life has changed. Getting dressed, going anywhere, showering... I have to ask help or I'll slip and fall on the bathroom floor. I used to run and play football with my friends," Belal added.