Bombed into silence: Hearing loss skyrockets in besieged Gaza

When Samir Al-Dadah woke up from a two-week coma after Israel bombed his apartment in Gaza’s Al-Jalaa neighbourhood, he was startled to see people’s mouths moving but could not hear a sound.

The 39-year-old completely lost his hearing on 24 December 2023 after the Israeli bombing, which killed over 20 people, including five of his family members.

He was wounded in his foot and back, but more startling was when people around him shouted or spoke loudly – he still could hardly hear a word.

Al-Dadah later underwent several medical examinations, learning that he had gone completely deaf in one ear and lost 60 percent of his hearing in the other.

Medical professionals told him he needs to undergo urgent surgery to insert a cochlear implant, however, due to Israel’s closure of land crossings, he has been unable to get the treatment.

“I only remember hearing the sound of a strong explosion and the glow of fire surrounding me, and then I fell to the ground. I don’t remember anything after that,” Al-Dadah told The New Arab.

He is just one of many Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip experiencing hearing loss and respiratory issues, which experts say is because of relentless Israeli bombardment and the rapid spread of diseases.

Specialists believe that such cases have risen two to threefold compared to before Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.

Since the start of the war, which has killed at least 44,249 people in Gaza and wounded at least 104,746, Israeli attacks have forced medical facilities to close while the destruction of key infrastructure, such as sewage networks, has allowed diseases to proliferate, some affecting people’s hearing.

Chest diseases and ear infections, which result in ear canals being blocked, are becoming more common in the Gaza Strip, experts say, with little medical assistance available to solve the issue.

Children and babies vulnerable

Children and babies are particularly susceptible to diseases and the consequences of Israeli bombardment.

According to Raja Sharaf, the head of the audiology department at Gaza’s Hamad Hospital, there is a notable increase in the number of deaf people, of all ages, in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive on the territory just over a year ago.

Sharaf attributed this to the piercing sound of shelling and explosions, or in some cases direct injuries.

“The sounds of violent shelling causes damage to the auditory nerve and permanent hearing problems that may continue with a person throughout their life. Most injuries are concentrated in one ear, where the infection rate is more than 50 per cent” Sharaf explained, adding that the only means of treatment is to install medical hearing aids.

However, she also noted that some cases are difficult and cannot even be treated with hearing aids, rendering people completely deaf.

On 7 August this year, the Abu Aram family welcomed their newborn baby daughter Julia in the central Gaza Strip. Despite the war on the enclave and harrowing conditions they were subjected to, she was still a glimmer of hope.

Just three days after her birth, the Israeli army targeted a house near where they were staying, forcing everyone in the area to flee for their lives.

In the chaos of being displaced again, Julia’s father Mohammed noticed something unusual in his daughter.

“My baby seemed quiet and only cried when she wanted to breastfeed. Two months later, the baby stopped responding to any sounds” he told The New Arab.

Abu Aram took her to several doctors where his daughter underwent medical tests, all confirming she had indeed completely lost her hearing.

“The news came as a shock to me, as I never expected that my baby would lose her hearing. Every time I try to play with her, I cry a lot because of how she has gone deaf,” her father said.

Unable to hear bombing

One of the biggest obstacles Palestinians who are now suffering from hearing loss have faced is being unable to hear airstrikes or calls to evacuate.

Al-Dadah, who has been forcibly displaced and ended up in a tent in the Mawasi area of Gaza’s Khan Younis says this is something that has intensified fears amidst heavy Israeli shelling.

“About a week ago, the Israeli army targeted a tent that was only 500 metres away from my tent, but I never heard the bombing,” he explained.

He said that he only knew there was bombing after seeing plumes of smoke arising from the targeted tent.

“I didn’t run away like other people. I just felt my heart trembling and didn’t know what to do. Day after day, I feel like I will die without even being able to hear the bombing,” he added.

Al-Dadah is not the only one with this fear and is one of many who have been affected by Israeli attacks.

Earlier this year, Hashem Ghazal, a well-known carpenter, Palestinian sign language teacher and disability rights activist was killed in an Israeli strike which also killed his wife and wounded his children.

Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, around 10,000 Palestinians have been made disabled, the Palestinian NGOs Network said in June.

The NGO added that destruction of key infrastructure, such as roads and healthcare facilities, only make it harder for people with disabilities.

“This has significantly diminished their ability to mobilise and evacuate safely, and has resulted in the loss of crucial assistive devices, abandoned in the face of bombardment,” the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, citing findings from the NGO.

In displacement camps, the experience of people with disabilities can be even more difficult, with experts highlighting that people with disabilities are more vulnerable to malnutrition and chronic illnesses, as well as death.

Rise in tinnitus

Earlier this year, Palestinians described having to wait months before being able to see doctors specialising in ear, nose and throat conditions, and for many, even when they are diagnosed they cannot access treatment.

Palestinians in Gaza who spoke to The New Arab said there has been a sharp increase in tinnitus among people, particularly after loud explosions.

For some, this is a constant ringing in the ears and for others it can be painful and cause headaches. While it is common, it can hugely impact peoples’ quality of life, by affecting their concentration and sleep, even triggering anxiety or depression.

Tinnitus can be caused by exposure to extreme loud noise, a build-up of ear wax or infections that causes ringing in the ears. Some experience it in one or both ears and it can come and go or be ever present.

Despite international organisations condemning attacks on Gaza and highlighting the impact on civilians, Israeli attacks and siege show no signs of ending.

Israeli forces bombed Gaza City’s Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children earlier this year, with Israeli soldiers grinning and posing with rifles in front of the building, as it was engulfed by flames.

The organisation has supported deaf and disabled Palestinians in the enclave since 1992 and employed deaf staff members.

Now, however, those experiencing tinnitus or other problems with their hearing have nowhere to turn to.

“While this is not the first school Israel has attacked using bombs and white phosphorous, this was an attack on what was once a safe and empowering place for deaf and disabled children and directly affects our community and the people we serve,”  the non-profit organisation Off-The-Grid Missions said in a statement following the attack.

According to Raja Sharaf, audiologist and speech-language pathologist from Gaza, hearing loss has remained a significant and growing problem since the Israeli siege on the enclave in 2007 due to frequent Israeli bombing and sonic booms.

Historically, Israel has imposed severe restrictions on hearing aids entering Gaza, most of which were delivered through the Erez Crossing. Patients would face months of delays while Israel carries out security checks, as well as during national Jewish holidays.