Vivid reminders of the war, Gaza

[نسرين حمدان]

Name of Victim: Yasmine Wael Daban

Age: 16 years old
Sex: Female
Date of Injury or Death: Dec, 27, 2009
Place of Injury or Death: Nearby the Security Center, Western Gaza.
Cause Injury or Death: Killed by fragments of an F-16 missile shot towards the Security Center at the first day of war on Gaza.
Details of the last hours:
In a hurry, Yasmine, 16 years old, accompanied by her school mates, was reviewing the answers of the Arabic language exam.

Then she went to her sister Haneen to go home together to be prepared for the next exam.

While they were on their way back from Balqees Al-Yaman School, the Israeli war on Gaza started by the first F16 aircrafts' raid.

This first strike was targeting the area of the Security Center, where the fragments of missiles hit Jasmine and Haneen who died at once, just like a huge number of the armless civilians.

With a broken heart, her mother 'Om Aziz', started to describe how dear is her departed daughter, as she said, "Yasmine wasn't just a daughter; she was like a friend to me. I considered her as a friend to whom I was complaining and seeking her advice in many issues. She was my right hand, I wasn’t doing anything at home unless she was with me; I was relying on her even in cooking. May God have mercy on her soul; she was helping me so much.”

Yasmine was taking the responsibility of teaching the English language to her brothers and sisters.

The sad mother, Om Aziz, is still hearing Yasmine’s and Haneen’s whispers while they were arranging their mutual return back to home in that last morning of their death. She still remembers how they asked her to pray for them at that day to pass their exams successfully; how Yasmine has washed some of her clothes before going to the exam.

Her Dreams:

Yasmine was a student in the second secondary class. She was known by her plenty activities in the school. She was a member in the press club at school; a young journalist whose dream was to make an interview with the famous Palestinian caricaturist, Omayya Joha. Yasmine was about to realize her dream, but she died right before doing the interview.

Her big dream was to be a journalist or a lawyer. She had always the vision to have her own business, just like her father; especially that she had a strong personality.

Yasmine wrote also patriotic poems in a blue notebook. Today, this notebook is the most precious memory that she left for her family.

She was too young to write such nationalistic poetry for her homeland. She loved her country, Palestine, so much, wrote poems for it; and died for it. But her love will never die; will remain alive with her poems.

[نسرين حمدان]

Name of Victim: Oyoun Gehad En-naslah

Age: 16 years old
Sex : Female
Date of Death: January 1, 2009
Place of Death: En-nadah neighborhood, Northern Gaza Strip
Cause of Death: An Israeli F16 rocket, aimed at the reservoir of En-nadah neighborhood. The shrapnel hit her body causing her death.
Details of the last hours:
On January 1, 2009, while the whole world celebrated the New Year Eve, Gaza families celebrated for the return of the electricity, after it had been cut for many days because of the Israeli offensive on the Strip.

One of the families was the En-naslah family. All the members of this family had rushed to finish as much as they could of their housework, before the electricity cut again. All of sudden the Israeli F16, with four rockets, aimed at the reservoir, which is inhabited by civilians. One of the rockets hit the house of Gehad En-naslah, instantly ending the lives of both the daughter Oyoun and her brother Moez.

Oyoun’s stepmother, says, "When I heard the explosion, I hasted outside and there I found dear Oyoun’s body laid down on fragments of glass with her head smashed. Then my husband brought my son. As I checked him, his heart dropped out of his chest."

Oyoun, was a beautiful, tactful, quiet, and balanced girl. At school, Oyoun was a hard-working student; she promised her family to spare no efforts to get the full marks. This was especially true with the scientific subjects, since she always wished to study nursing or physical therapy.

The father described his dear daughter, Oyoun, saying, "She was shy, caring with her siblings, and ready to help anybody. A few days before her death, I and my wife were surprised how much she became beautiful and how her face turned more bright than ever; that was also the case with her brother."

Oyoun’s stepmother adds, "I liked to joke with her telling her father ‘Oyoun became so beautiful and should be married soon’,"

A few hours before Oyoun’s death, the family was gathered; Moez called for his sister and asked her to sit beside him on the rug. Then, he hugged her, saying, "I love you" and Oyoun answered, "me too". Two hours later, both Oyoun and Moez were killed.

Her Hobbies:

Oyoun’s stepmother, says, "Oyoun had the talent of painting and shaping clay; she made many wonderful materials out of clay. One of Oyoun’s clay shapes was so beautiful and I wished to decorate our home with it, but the school asked to keep it, and Oyoun promised me to made another one for me…"

The father described his dear daughter, Oyoun, saying, "She was shy, caring with her siblings, and ready to help anybody. A few days before her death, I and my wife were surprised how much she became beautiful and how her face turned more bright than ever; that was also the case with her brother."

Oyoun’s stepmother adds, "I liked to joke with her telling her father ‘Oyoun became so beautiful and should be married soon’,"

A few hours before Oyoun’s death, the family was gathered; Moez called for his sister and asked her to sit beside him on the rug. Then, he hugged her, saying, "I love you" and Oyoun answered, "me too". Two hours later, both Oyoun and Moez were killed.

[نسرين حمدان]

Name of Victim: Mazen Ahmed Muhammad Matr

Age: 15 years old
Sex : male
Date of Death: January 23rd, 2009
Place of Death: At his home, Jabalia north Camp
Cause of Death: mistaking an Israeli bomb for a toy; Mazen took the toy and it blew up in his face.
Details of the last hours:
When the sound of explosions stopped for a while, streams of Gazan men went out to check the stricken areas. The 15-year old Mazen joined the stream to share in the survey. He found a small object of the Israeli remains, which he took to explore later at home.

At home, Mazen started to examine the small object and within seconds it blew up in his face. His blood covered the rug. His mother was not at home then. She had gone to mourn a friend, in Jabalia camp. Mazen’s brothers were in the house, but none of them were hurt.

His mother, recalls Mazen’s manners, "Not only Mazen helped his family but also he used to quickly give a hand to anybody who asked for help. When water was cut in our neighborhood, Mazen helped fill the reservoir manually."

"Mazen memorized four parts of the Noble Qur'an and loved to stay at the mosque for long times", the sad mother adds.

Mazen was a third-grade student at a preparatory school. Mazen excelled in football owing this to his tall and thin body. He was a member of his school team. He loved to play football so much without feeling exhausted or bored.

"In his spare time, Mazen, also, used to spend his time at home in front of his computer and competing with his brothers in the computer games.", his mother recalls.

[نسرين حمدان]

Name of Victim: ‘Alaa’ Fathii Dawood Al-Qiram

Age: 14 years old
Sex: Male
Date of Injury or Death: January 16, 2009
Place of Injury or Death: Few meters away from his home near Tal Al-Hawa, near the Community College of Professional and Applied Sciences, the South-west of Gaza City.
Cause Injury or Death: A missile from an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft.
Details of the last hours:
‘Alaa’, 14, woke up that day on hearing the loud screams of his frightened young sister, Amerah. The caring brother rushed towards her sister to find his beloved father’s dead body that was nothing more that a heap of shreds. His father had gone to rescue a wounded man who had sought refuge in his home’s walls. Poor ‘Alaa’ could not believe his eyes; he wandered about the room trying to comprehend what had just happened.

The brave fourteen-year old ‘Alaa’ chose to challenge the ruthless Israeli reconnaissance aircrafts that were crowded the Palestine sky, and run in his desperate attempt to get his father some help.

Unfortunately, the Israeli reconnaissance aircrafts fired its ruthless missile into his body even before he could reach the main street. The Israeli missile tore him into shreds at the doors of near the Community College of Professional and Applied Sciences.

More Details:

‘Alaa’ was the apple of his father’s eye; as he was his only son. His father dearly loved his little angel. In his childhood, ‘Alaa’ had suffered from a terrible accident that left him with Cerebral Palsy. The loving father never gave in; he did not refrain doing any effort to cure his little angel by all possible means. Fortunately, ‘Alaa’ responded to the treatment and recovered a little bit; however, it still had affected his education capacity.

He was pretty conscious and used to help his dear father in his small store.

His step mother gave up her career as a kindergarten supervisor so as to take care of the two-year old ‘Alaa’ then. She says: "I spent all these years raising my beloved son and taking good care of him so as to see him growing up before my eyes, but, alas, these cruel criminals have robed me of my little boy.”

The step mother feels guilty that she had given in to her children’s wishes to stay with their father as she went to her father’s place to bring some needs. She left children: ‘Alaa’, Amerah, and ‘Esmat with her husband unknowingly that this was her last time to behold her precious ‘Alaa’.

She says: "It could have been easier and more bearable for me if they have had cut me into pieces instead of murdering my beloved son."

Haya’, his younger sister, remembers her beloved brother with eyes full of tears:" My dear brother was very kind and tender-hearted … He used to buy me candy all the time… He was a very kind, quite and passionate brother."

[نسرين حمدان]

Name of Victim: Bara’ah Eyaad Shalhah

Age: 7 years old.
Sex: Female
Date of Injury or Death: January 10, 2009
Place of Injury or Death: In front of her house in Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip.
Cause of Injury or Death: Missile from an Israeli reconnaissance plane fired into a gathering of civilians.
Details of the last hours:
Even though it was not her usual habit, on January 10, seven-year-old Bara’ah woke up at 9 am. Bara’ah used to sleep on the second floor with her aunts, but she did not want to miss having breakfast with her parents. Bara’ah asked her mother to call her father so that they might enjoy a family breakfast together. On her way out the door, an Israeli reconnaissance plane fired its ruthless missile into the gathering neighbors on the street, including Bara’ah’s father. Bara’ah, the gathering men, and thirteen-year-old Bayaan Khalifah were all killed. Bara’ah’s father used to exert great effort so that his precious twins, Bara’ah and Alaa, would be bright students, and so they were. When Bara’ah’s teachers came to offer their condolences, they expressed their deep sorrow for the loss of the most diligent student in the class. As we started the interview with the brokenhearted mother, Alaa was just coming back from school. Seeing her daughter walking through the door alone without Bara’ah, she remembered the sweet times when her precious twins used to return from school together. With eyes full of tears, the poor mother said: ”Bara’ah dreamed of growing up to be a doctor; whenever she found her brother, Mohammad, ill, she would tell me that soon she would be a doctor and be able to treat him.”

Seven-year-old Bara’ah is gone, and she left her twin with painful memories which are too much for a girl of her young age to handle. Seven-year-old Alaa was utterly devastated by her sister’s death; she still asks her mourning mother: ”Mom, where is Bara’ah? Where did my sister go?” Alaa remembers her dear sister: ”I miss her so much. Bara’ah was my twin and my best friend. I remember how she used to be scared whenever she heard the bombs. She would not eat and would cry and say, “I am scared of death. I am afraid to die!”

Seven-year-old Bara’ah was emotionally attached to her aunt, Heba; she would tease her mother, and say:”My aunt Heba is my real mother, and you are my aunt.” They would laugh. Her mother says: “My darling daughter was a funny, pretty, and innocent little angel. These merciless criminals murdered my innocent little girl. What did she do to them to deserve such a ruthless death? A few seconds before her death, she was telling me about her new game. I honestly do not know how to live without her…”

[نسرين حمدان]

Name of Victim: Ranaa Fayz Nour Salhah

Age: 12 years old
Sex: Female
Date of Injury or Death: January 9, 2009
Place of Injury or Death: Inside her house in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip.
Cause of Injury or Death: Bomb from Israeli F-16 plane.
Details of the last hours:
Silence fell over the place while the Fayz family was enjoying a few seconds of deep sleep. Then, the terrifying sound of a warning missile broke the silence of the night. The horrible sound struck terror into the poor mother who ran frantically in her desperate attempt to save her precious children from the ruthless Israeli attack. The terror-stricken mother grasped her older son, Nour, by the arm and pulled him out of his bed telling him to take his siblings, aunts, and cousins and run for their lives. The dutiful son did what his mother told him and they sought refuge in the street from the heavy bombing on their home. Meanwhile, the terrified mother was rushed off her feet as she tried to rescue her dear children and get them out of the house. Unfortunately, the vicious Israeli attack was faster than the mother and she was too late to save them. The second missile beheaded the mother and the poor children were torn to shreds.

Nour and his surviving siblings walked over the remains of their mother and other siblings while fragments flew over their heads. However, they managed to escape the heavy indiscriminate attack and became living proof of the barbaric Israeli massacre of the Fayz family. The grief-stricken son took his mother’s shoe out of the rubble and with eyes full of bitter tears started kissing it and screaming out of pain and grief. The poor child could not believe that his dear mother and beloved siblings were gone. After all, she had just told him to run out of the house. The devastated children walked sadly over the remains of their murdered family, screaming and crying but there was no answer and no one to help.

Ranaa was a diligent sixth-grade student in elementary school; she was a distinguished and well-mannered student with remarkably high morals. Her life was quite busy with various activities; learning Qur’an recitation and studying her lessons. Her brokenhearted father says:”Ranaa memorized three chapters of the Noble Qur’an before she died. She was just starting to memorize the fourth but these criminals would not let her.” Ranna looked older than she is; she was funny and pretty with an continual smile on her tiny reddish lips. She was a true friend; she always kept in touch with her friends. Even during vacations she would write to them and send them cards she had made herself. With broken hearts and eyes full of tears, her mourning friends offer their condolences to her grieving family, or those who survived the attack.
Ranaa was her dad’s little girl; she was the apple of her father’s eye. She was his blue-eyed girl; he could not say no to her especially when it came to buying her the materials she needed for her handicrafts which she was really good at. Her father says: ”She could not wait to learn a new card design so that she could make it and give it to someone she loved.”

Like any twelve-year-old girl, Ranaa dreamed of enjoying her childhood, finishing high school, and then entering the university. Ranaa always dreamed of studying medicine and hoped to become a great doctor; however, ruthless Israeli missiles robbed her of her life and buried her unfulfilled dreams under the rubble.

[نسرين حمدان]

Adham Mutair, 17, was shot by Israeli troops at his home near Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza, on 9 January. Israeli tanks had taken up positions in the area around the houses and the family had been trapped inside their home for a week. Adham went upstairs to the roof to check on their pigeons, which were housed in a large hut. As he stepped out into the open, he was shot three times and collapsed. Two of his brothers carried him out of the house along a back route. Using a motorcycle and then a car, they carried him to the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. He died the next day. Most of the family could not get out of the house to make it to the burial. "We haven't even had a chance to set up a funeral tent to mourn him properly," said his uncle, Khader, 53. "I don't think the rest of the world understands how painful our lives are here."
Lina Hassan, 10, was killed by an Israeli shell which hit her as she walked to the shops next to the UN school in Jabaliya on January 6. "She asked me for a shekel to go to the shops to buy something for her and her brothers and sisters," said her father, Abdul, 37. "I heard the shell and I ran out. I saw her body lying on the ground - part of her head was missing." Lina was the eldest of six children. "They are targeting the Palestinian people. Was my daughter Hamas? Do you think a 10-year-old even knows the difference between Hamas and Fatah?" Abdul's younger children have asked him repeatedly about their sister. "I told them she is up in heaven and one of them said: 'I want to go and stay with her up there'."

[نسرين حمدان]

Mohammad Shaqoura, nine, was killed by the Israeli shelling at the UN school in Jabaliya on 6 January. He was playing marbles in the street outside with his friends in the middle of the afternoon. "I went to help the injured. I didn't realise Mohammad was one of them," said his father, Basim, 40. As he was helping one young man, he turned and saw his own son lying dead on the road. "The injury was in the back of his dead. He was lying with his face on the ground," he said. "Mohammad was the best of children. Anything I asked him to do he would do. On the day before he died. he was watching a religious television programme for children called Birds of Paradise. He asked me: 'Those wings on the birds, are they martyrs' wings?' I try to talk about him as much as possible with my other children. But it's hard for them to understand."

[نسرين حمدان]

Haleema


Haleema was a very beautiful Palestinian child.

She was in Egypt for two weeks last year to visit her brother

who was receiving medical treatment in an Egyptian hospital.

These first two photos were taken for Haleema during her visit to Egypt.











Now see Haleema after an Israeli raid








Haleema was killed along with her father

and 15 members of her family.

[نسرين حمدان]

Death of six of Al-Batran family members, most are children


Al-Batran family (Death of six of its members, most are children). Ages: various - Date of death: January 16, 2009. Place of Death: Al-Bureij Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip. Weapon type: air strike on their home. Cause of death: A mother and her five children of Al-Batran family were killed Friday afternoon in an Israeli air strike on their home in Al-Bureij Refugee Camp in central Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical sources identified the dead as the 30-year-old Manal, and her children 12-years-old Wala, 8-years-old Izz Ad-Din, 10-year-old Bilal, 11-year-old Islam, and 7-years-old Ihsan. Islamonline.