Motaz Azaiza Reunites with Nada Jwaifel, Whose Life He Saved with a Photograph

  • Publish date: Tuesday، 19 August 2025 Reading time: two min read

A Photographer’s Lens Saves Life: Gaza’s Survival Captured and Reunited Two Years Later in Washington

Nearly two years after capturing a life-changing image in Gaza, Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza was reunited with 19-year-old Nada Jwaifel in Washington, D.C., during an event hosted by the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

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The photograph, taken amid the rubble of her family’s home, proved instrumental in alerting rescue teams to her presence, and ultimately saved her life and her legs.

In October 2023, Jwaifel lay trapped under debris in the Al Nusairat refugee camp after an Israeli airstrike destroyed her home.

Severely injured with shattered legs and a broken shoulder, she held her younger sister in her arms as she lay buried for hours. During the rescue efforts, Azaiza spotted her through a hole in the wall but, due to darkness, could not confirm her survival with his eyes alone. Instead, he used his camera’s low-shutter-speed setting to record the image that convinced rescuers she was still alive. 

That photograph earned widespread recognition, being featured by Time among the top ten photos of 2023, and became the catalyst for extraordinary medical intervention.

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Dr. Sami Tuffaha, a peripheral nerve specialist at Johns Hopkins, discovered the image via social media and, in partnership with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, coordinated care across four countries involving a remarkable 75 surgeries. Thanks to those efforts, Jwaifel regained the ability to walk. 

During the reunion in Washington, Jwaifel took the stage to share her story, reflecting on life before the war and the devastating loss of her family, including her seven siblings and grandmother.

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Despite her profound losses, she delivered a message of resilience, “Israel might have taken everything precious to me – my family, my home, my peace – but it will never break my spirit, as long as I can breathe.” 

For Azaiza, the reunion stirred memories of trauma and haunting guilt. He reflected on his role in that moment of chaos, admitting that while capturing the image brought unimaginable consequences, it saved a life.

This article was previously published on bahrainmoments. To see the original article, click here