STORY: Mohammed Eid, a displaced 15-year-old Palestinian boy who lost his parents and his leg during the war in Gaza, celebrated his birthday on Friday (October 10) with his host family in Michigan, marking the day a ceasefire took effect in the region.

Eid, who was evacuated from Gaza in April 2025 for medical treatment in the United States, is the youngest of four siblings. Three of his siblings remain alive, with one still residing in Gaza. Both of his parents were killed during the war, and he now uses a prosthetic leg after losing his own in an attack. Despite his tragic past, Eid said he felt joy on this special day, which coincided with the ceasefire. "I am happy I am starting a new chapter in my life, a new year, and at the same time I am happy that the war is over on this day, on my birthday," Eid said.

The birthday celebration included guests singing "Happy Birthday" and a cake adorned with a picture of Eid's favourite soccer idol, Lionel Messi. Eid, who once dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player, has now shifted his ambitions. "Now I want to become a programmer," he said. "My vision has changed with the injury."

Wisal Samaha, Eid's “host mother,” described her journey to becoming his caregiver after connecting with Yasmeen Hamad, organizer for HEAL Palestine's Michigan chapter. Following the outbreak of war on October 7, Samaha offered her home after learning about challenges faced by families bringing children to the United States for medical care. Initially set to co-host Eid, she became his primary caregiver after unforeseen circumstances prevented another family from hosting.

"He told me, 'This is my first time celebrating my birthday without my family," Samaha said. Despite his longing for Gaza, Samaha noted his happiness about the ceasefire, though he expressed a desire to return to his homeland.

Eid concluded the day with gratitude for those who attended his birthday. "Thank you for coming and making me happy," he said. He added that his birthday wish was for Gazan children to live in peace like others around the world. "My birthday turned out to have brought good luck for Gaza," he said.

Thousands of Palestinians streamed north along the coast of Gaza on Saturday, trekking by foot, car, and cart back to their abandoned homes as a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas appeared to be holding.

Israeli troops pulled back under the first phase of a U.S.-brokered agreement reached this week to end the war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and left much of the enclave in ruins.

Once the Israeli forces had completed their redeployment on Friday, which keeps them out of major urban areas but still in control of roughly half the enclave, the clock began ticking for Hamas to release its hostages within 72 hours.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 10, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF 15-YEAR OLD PALESTINIAN BOY, MOHAMMED EID WHO LOST BOTH HIS FAMILY AND HIS LEG DURING WAR IN GAZA PUTTING ON PROSTHETIC LEG

2. EID FIXING HIS PANTS

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“I am happy I am starting a new chapter in my life, a new year and at the same time I am happy that the war is over on this day, on my birthday. I am really happy I am celebrating my birthday on the day the ceasefire has gone into effect for our families in Gaza, and may our martyrs rest in peace and the injured would be healed and may we all be healed.”

4. EID BRUSHING HIS HAIR AHEAD OF HIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

5. EID GETTING READY FOR HIS BIRTHDAY

6. EID SPRAYING ON PERFUME

7. EID GOING UP THE STAIRS

8. VARIOUS OF EID’S HOST MOM WISAL SAMAHA FIXING HIS SHIRT

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“I, as a boy before war, used to love playing soccer. I wanted to become a professional soccer player, but after the war this all changed. But thank God to everything, now, instead of my time spent playing soccer, I watch soccer instead. I love team Barcelona, they are my favourite team and soccer idol is (Lionel) Messi.”

10. VARIOUS OF GUESTS HUGGING MOHAMMAD

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“My ambitions have changed. Now I want to do something that would benefit Gaza and benefit me. Now I want to become a programmer, my vision has changed with the injury. I wanted to be a professional soccer player but now things have changed.”

12. EID PLAYING SOCCER GAME ON TV

13. VIEW OF EID’S HAND INJURED

14. EID GREETING GUESTS

15. WISAL SAMAHA, EID’S HOST MUM, DANCING FOR HIM

16. SAMAHA TALKING, LAUGHING WITH EID

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“After my mum was martyred, I went through tough time but then I told myself that I should be happy because that would make my parents happy (both deceased). I always try to stay happy, smiling and with good spirit, because this will definitely make my parents happy when they see me happy.”

18. VARIOUS OF EID’S HOST FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HIM

19. CAKE WITH PICTURE OF LIONEL MESSI ON IT

20. EID MAKING A BIRTHDAY WISH

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“My birthday wish is for Gazan children to live like everyone else in the world, and for the war to end, and for the people of Gaza, the children of Gaza, the women of Gaza and the men of Gaza and everyone to live in peace after today, and for it to not happen again. This is my only wish.”

22. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“Thank you for coming and making me happy, and coming to my birthday.”

23. EID HOLDING A KID

24. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EID’S HOST MOM WISAL SAMAHA, SAYING:

“We were planning this birthday party, but I was planning it on a small, I was telling him we are doing it on a small scale, but I knew it was going to be huge. But at the begging of this week he told me, ‘I am not feeling good. I feel like a stone on my chest.’And I asked him why? We are having a big birthday, it is your birthday week, and we are having a big birthday party, and I forgot.. he told me, ‘this is my first time celebrating my birthday without my family.”

25. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EID’S HOST MOM WISAL SAMAHA, SAYING:

“I mean he is happy that it stopped (the war) but again, now he is switching all (his plans) he wants to go back to Gaza.”

26. VARIOUS OF EID SITTING WITH GUESTS, EATING

27. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“I wouldn’t have celebrated (my birthday). I wouldn’t have celebrated, and if I did, I wouldn’t have been happy (if war continued).”

28. EID WALKING TO PORCH

29. EID SITTING WITH GUESTS

30. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST HIS PARENTS IN AN ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA, MOHAMMED EID, SAYING:

“It was a good thing that on my birthday the war has ended, it is really nice. My birthday turned out to have brought good luck for Gaza.”

31. BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS TAKE PLACE

32. WOMEN TAKING PHOTOS WITH EID

33. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ORGANIZER FOR HEAL PALESTINE IN MICHIGAN, WHO BROUGHT EID TO MICHIGAN , YASMEEN HAMAD, SAYING:

“I have two kids that I have hosted in the past in Gaza and when I call them, it is basically asking of they are still alive and there is a huge guilt in that. I can't help them, I can’t send them money, I can't tell them where to buy food. At least now with things opening up they will have better access to food, to shelter, to water, the basic human needs, so am hoping when I talked to them tomorrow, that a little built of guilt and maybe they will have some openings, that they will be able to get to food, to water and just, not fear that when they go to sleep, they are not waking up or that when they are trying to get food that they are not going to get killed in the process.”

34. BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN PROGRESS

35. BALLOONS WITH NUMBER ‘15’