At 12 an Israeli missile ‘ripped off’ her face. Now Mazyouna is safe in the US – but not all the scars have healed

<p>The young teenager’s treatment is a rare story of hope from the two-year war in Gaza. With the ceasefire now in effect, she hopes to see her father again</p><p>In June 2024, an Israeli missile struck 13-year-old Mazyouna Damoo’s apartment in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, hurling her and her mother into the street.</p><p>Her younger sister, Tala, was pulled from beneath the rubble alive, but her other siblings – Hala, 13, and Mohannad, 10 – were killed instantly. Mazyouna survived, but <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/nov/15/gaza-war-children-humanitarian-aid-mazyouna-israel-refuses-medical-evacuation">half of her face was ripped off</a>, leaving her jawbone exposed.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/oct/16/israeli-missile-mazyouna-us-gaza">Continue reading...</a>