Israel’s ‘Operation Breaking Dawn’ killed 49 Palestinians. These are their stories.

1. Alaa Qaddoum, 5 years old

Alaa recently celebrated her graduation from kindergarten, and her parents say she was excited about starting first grade at the end of the month. She had already prepared her school bag, pencils, and notebooks.

Alaa belongs to a family of six members, and is the oldest of her four siblings. Her father Abdullah Qaddoum was critically wounded in the same airstrike.

The Al-Shuja’iyya Mosque is only about 50 meters away from her home. On Friday afternoon, Alaa was with her father, on her way to her grandparents house, when the airstrike targeted her father and family relative, Yousif.

2. Imad Shallah, 50 years old

Imad is the muezzin of Al-Shuja’iyya Mosque, and the head of a family of six. According to his family, he spent much of his time at the mosque, cleaning and organizing the place for the local congregation. The mosque was only a few dozen meters away from his family’s home.

Before he was killed, Imad had been waiting on a payment of financial aid from the Social Affairs ministry in Gaza, so that he could help pay for eye treatments for his 19-year-old son Muhammad, who suffers from health issues in his retina.

Imad was sitting on the steps of the mosque when the Israeli airstrike targeted two people — one who was killed (Yousif Qaddoum, 24), and one who was critically injured (Abdullah Qaddoum, 31) outside the mosque. Imad was killed after he was struck with shrapnel from the bomb.

3. Yousif Qaddoum, 24 years old

In 2002, Israel killed his father, Salman, 24, at the same age. Yousif is a graphic designer, and worked to support his mother alongside his only brother Hussam, who works as a driver. He also used to design many of the posters and banners for PIJ in Gaza City.

Locals and family members told Mondoweiss that he was very involved in his local community, and that at every event in his neighborhood, he was the first one to offer help.

While affiliated with PIJ, Yousif was not armed or engaged in combat when he was killed. 

4. Tayseer Mahmoud Al-Jabari, 50 years old

Tayseer al-Jabari was a leader of the PIJ in northern Gaza. Such leaders often keep their personal information secret, even from their own relatives. There is no known address for them, and people do not talk about them or their families in order to avoid revealing details. Their families do not appear to the public most of the time.

He was targeted in a residential area, close to his home in the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City. 

5. Ahmad Mazen Azzam, 25 years old

Ahmad got engaged only three days before his death, and his wedding was scheduled to take place in September. “He was so happy and satisfied with the new life he was about to experience,” his father Mazen told Mondoweiss. Ahmad had been working nonstop with construction workers on the flat that he was going to settle into with his wife once they got married.

Ahmad is one of 11 family members. He was a construction worker, and worked at different construction sites most days of the week. His family said one of his biggest wishes was to build a family of his own and to provide them with a good future.

 “He dreamed about becoming a father. He loved kids and looked forward to playing with his own one day,” Mazen continued.

He was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Friday, east of Gaza City, on the border between Israel and the Al-Zaytoun area at a PIJ military site.

6. Salama Muhareb Abed, 38 years old

He was the father of four kids, and was described as “humble, kind, and beloved.” He studied accounting, but decided to become a resistance fighter with the PIJ. He is a well-known Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza, and was revered by many for dedicating his life to struggling against the Israeli occupation.

He was targeted east of Al-Shuja’iyya while he was on duty with the Al-Quds Brigades, the PIJ’s military wing.

7. Muhammad Hasan Al-Bayok, 36 years old

A father of three daughters and a son, he was a beloved member of his family of 10. His mother Yasmin told Mondoweiss that he “never said a single word to hurt anybody.”

Muhammad was described as very kind to his friends, neighbors, and family, someone who could always put a smile on the faces of his family members.

“Last time he left home, I felt something different about him. He hugged us as he told us goodbye. My heart sank that day, realizing that he wouldn’t come back home,” Yasmin said.

Muhammad was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a PIJ military site in Khan Younis.

8. Muhammad Ahmad Al-Madhon, 26 years old

Muhammad was a member of a family of eight. He worked as a construction worker to help provide for his family, who mostly relied on financial support from the social affairs ministry in Gaza.

His mother told Mondoweiss that he would spend his free time with her, and woke her up every morning for morning prayers and breakfast together.

He was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a PIJ military site in Beit Lahia.

9. Doniana Adnan Al-Imor, 22 years old

Doniana was one of 11 family members. She was a promising painter, and used painting as a way to distract herself from the bombs that fell on Gaza during Israeli offensives over the course of her young life, her family said.

Doniana chose to wear the niqab, a full face veil, for religious reasons. Her father declined to provide a photo of her, saying she chose to cover her face when she was alive, so he wanted to honor her wishes in death.

Doniana was with her brothers when they were crossing a street near the border area on the outskirts of Khan Younis when an Israeli airstrike targeted a nearby PIJ site. Her six brothers were injured in the strike, but survived.

10. Layan Mesleh Al-Shaer, 11 years old

Layan was a smart and beautiful girl, and one of a family of eight. Her father Mohsen described her as ambitious and funny, and said she had a “bright future in her eyes.”

Her family and the family of her uncle piled into a vehicle to go for a family trip to the beach when an airstrike targeted a nearby PIJ site in Khan Younis. 

Layan was critically injured in her head, and suffered severe brain damage. Four of her cousins were also injured.

Her story was shared widely on social media, with photos of her performing dabke, a form of traditional Palestinian dance, and one of her favorite activities.

Layan was transferred to a hospital in Jerusalem for treatment, and passed away one week after she was injured.

11. Na’ama Hamed Abu Qaidah, 62 years old

Na’ama was a mother of seven children, and prided herself on taking care of her kids. Saturday was her son’s wedding day, and she was on her way to go pick up her son’s bride from her home — a customary tradition in Palestinian weddings.

She was in the car when an Israeli airstrike targeted the vehicle she rode in, along with her husband, kids, and several relatives. Six people were injured, including four children. Na’ama’s granddaughter, 10-year-old Hanin, was also killed.

“It is a memory of pain stuck in my heart. The day that was supposed to be my wedding day turned out to be my mother’s funeral,” her son Akram said.

12. Hanin Waleed Abu Qaidah, 10 years old

Hanin was the eldest of two daughters in her family of five. She was an excellent student, and loved going to school.

She was wearing her best clothes, and her mom even let her put on a little bit of makeup to celebrate her uncle Akram’s wedding day, when the Israeli airstrike hit them.

Hanin was hospitalized for four days after sustaining critical wounds to her leg and back. She succumbed to her wounds on August 9.

“Everything beautiful in my life is gone,” her father Waleed said. “When they told me she passed away, I died too.”

13. Tamim Ghassan Hijazi, 23 years old

Tamim is a journalism graduate student, but was also unemployed and struggled to find work in Gaza’s job market. He belongs to a family of eight members, and mostly worked odd jobs to help support his family.

He often volunteered at the municipality in Khan Younis, in the hopes of eventually landing a full-time job as a government employee. His dreams finally came true when was called for an exam and interview by the municipality to work in the media department. He was supposed to start on Sunday, but he was killed the day before.

Tamim was riding a motorcycle along with his friend Osama Al-Souri when they were both killed by an Israeli airstrike targeting their motorcycle in Khan Younis. His family said he was a member of PIJ, but was unarmed when he was killed.

14. Osama Abdel-Rahman Al-Souri, 28 years old

Osama was married with no children, and was a member of a family of eight. He was described by his family as a “proud freedom fighter” who chose to struggle against the occupation, and put everything on the line to achieve freedom.

Osama was moving in the streets of Khan Younis on his motorcycle. His brother Moaz, 23, said he left home prepared to fight back against the Israeli offensive. “He chose that path and he stuck to it,” Moaz said.

He was riding a motorcycle along with Tamim when an Israeli airstrike targeted and killed them both. Locals said that Osama was leaving a nearby Islamic Jihad location.

15. Fadil Mustafa Zo’rob, 29 years old

Fadil is a father of three kids, and worked with his brother selling seasonal vegetables to support his family.

“If anyone asks him for something he owns, even a valuable thing to him, he would give it without hesitation,” his father Mustafa said fondly.

His family told Mondoweiss that when people came to him at the market and wanted some vegetables, but did not have the cash to pay, Fadil gave them what they needed for free.

“We are proud that Fadil, our son, died as a hero, as a martyr, and we all will follow his path,” Mustafa said.

Fadil was killed by an Israeli airstrike at the local vegetable market in Khan Younis. He was sitting on a chair in the market when an airstrike killed another unarmed person crossing the area.

16. Anas Khalid Nishasi, 22 years old

Anas was a member of a nine-person family, and was a taxi driver in Khan Younis. He worked to support his family, and he hoped one day to make enough money to get married and start his own family. He was also an active athlete and was involved in the local weight lifting community. He was well-known and liked amongst his friends at the gym, his family said.

Anas was injured in the same airstrike that killed Fadil Zo’rob. He was crossing through the market when the airstrike hit. He was hospitalized for a week, and succumbed to his wounds on August 12.

17. Hassan Muhammad Mansur, 26 years old

Hassan was a fighter with the leftist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) party, and was killed when he and his friend were targeted east of Jabalia in northern Gaza. Hassan was reportedly trying to fire a mortar shell from an open area when he was targeted by the strike. His friend survived, and called Hassan’s mother for help after they were targeted. She arrived to find Hassan dying, where he died in her arms.

Hassan is survived by his wife Amal and his two young children, 1-year-old Qais and 3-year-old Misk. The two children and their mother now live at their grandmother’s house.

Hassan was fondly remembered by his family and the people in his neighborhood. Many of his neighbors considered him like a brother, and remembered his kindness, saying that he would always help anyone who needed it.

His wife Amal told Mondoweiss that she was proud of her husband for fighting back against the Israeli occupation. She said she will raise her kids and tell them that their father was a freedom fighter and died fighting for his country.

18. Ahmad Waleed Al-Farram, 17 years old

Ahmad is the eldest son of a family of seven. He was killed in the Jabalia refugee camp alongside six other people while they were in the streets.  His father told Mondoweiss that “there is deep sadness and pain in my heart, but I must stay as firm as I can to give my family strength.”

His father works as a day laborer in Israel, and was stuck in Israel due to closed checkpoints when his son was killed. Ahmad was buried before his father could return to Gaza.

“It is really painful that I could not see him before he was buried,” his father said.

19. Muhammad Ibrahim Zaqout, 19 years old

Muhammad is one of seven family members. He was injured with live ammunition in his leg at the age of 15 during Gaza’s Great March of Return, and lived with platinum in his leg ever since.

After his injury, Muhammad was inspired to study nursing, as he wanted to help people who also suffered from injuries in Gaza. He was sitting in the street with his friend Khalil, who was also killed in the same explosion.

Muhammad’s brother, Alaa, hurried into the street after he heard the bomb, and found Muhammad lying injured in the street, saying his final shahada, a testament of faith that Muslims profess before they die. Alaa said that Muhammad tried to say his name, but couldn’t get the words out before he passed away.

20. Khalil Abu Hamada, 18 years old

Khalil was his parents’ only child, who struggled for 13 years with IVF treatments in order to conceive. When they finally had him, it was like a dream come true.

His grieving mother Najwa, 41, told Mondoweiss: “He is the only one who calls me mom, and now he’s gone, I will never hear that word again.”

Najwa said she dreamed of the day Khalil would once get married, and have children of his own, so that she could grow her family and become a grandmother.

“But now all those dreams are gone forever,” she said.

21. Nafeth Muhammad Al-Khatib, 50 years old

Nafeth is a father of seven, the eldest 24 and the youngest 4 years old. Nafeth was a taxi driver, and often struggled to make ends meet for his family in Gaza’s poor economic conditions.

“He worked only to bring food to his family, and always did,” Nafeth’s father Muhammad, 77, told Mondoweiss.

Following his death his wife and children are struggling to find a way to carry on. One of his sons is in Algeria studying medicine. Nafeth used to send him money for his studies, in the hope that once his son became a doctor, the family would have a better source of income.

Nafeth’s brothers said that they can barely support their families under Gaza’s current conditions, so with Nafeth gone, they are going to face difficulties in supporting his widow and children.

22 & 23. Ahmad Muhammad Al-Nirab, 12 years old, and Mo’men Muhammad  Al-Nirab, 6 years old

Muhammad Al-Nirab is a father of two boys, Ahmad and Mo’men, and two girls. When the bomb exploded in Jabalia refugee camp, he lost both of his boys. In a moment, he said, half of his family was gone.

“Everything they asked for, the two boys got,” said Muhammad, the boy’s father, adding that he always wanted to spoil his kids and give them the best things in life that he could.

Mo’men was getting ready to go to school for the first time this year, and his brother Ahmad was excited to accompany his brother to school for the first time.

“Ahmad died one day before his birthday. He was waiting to get a bicycle for his present, and I was going to bring him one,” Muhammad said. “They both died in front of my eyes.”

Muhammad said he had gone out with the boys to get some falafel for dinner for the family. They were almost back home — Mo’men was by his side, and Ahmad was a few meters ahead of them, when the bomb exploded.

“The bomb turned everything black. For more than 10 minutes no one could move. After the smoke disappeared, I found Mo’men laying down on his face on the ground. He had died immediately due to shrapnel in his neck,” Muhammad recounted, adding that he saw an injured Ahmad lying a few meters away from them.

“I was screaming unconsciously, holding my bleeding sons in my arms, trying to get him to a hospital. I ran for a whole kilometer before I found a car carrying many of the injured to a hospital,” Muhammad said. He put his sons in the car, and jumped in another vehicle to go to the hospital.

When he arrived, he found Ahmad and Mo’men, but they were covered in white cloth, and laid out among the dead.

24. Hazem Muhammad Salem, 9 years old

Hazem was an active boy in his neighborhood, and was beloved by his family, friends, and neighbors, who always opened their homes to him. He was considered a son of all the families in the camp.

He was sitting in the street with some of his friends when the bomb hit the street. All of his friends were injured, but survived. He is also survived by six of his family members.

25. Khalid Mansour, 47 years old

Khalid was a husband and father of 13 children. In an interview with Al Jazeera his daughter described him as a loving man who loved playing with his kids, and found joy in cooking for his family.

Khalid was the leader of Islamic Jihad in southern Gaza. He was killed by an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in a residential area of Rafah, where Mansour and other PIJ leaders were reportedly meeting at the time.

26. Ziad Ahmad Al-Mudallal, 35 years old

Ziad was Khalid Mansour’s right-hand man, and was also a leader of PIJ in Rafah. He is survived by his wife and two children, Tala, 10, and Ahmad, 3.

27. Rafat Saleh Al-Zamily, 45 years old

Rafat Saleh was also a PIJ leader in Rafah, and was killed alongside his colleagues, Al-Mudallal and Mansour.

28. Alaa Saleh Al-Tahrawi, 30 years old

Alaa was a wife and a mother of a three-year-old child. She and her family rent a home in the Sho’th neighborhood of Rafah. She was killed when an airstrike targeted the building where they lived, destroying her family’s apartment. She was crushed beneath the apartment complex.

According to Alaa’s family, her body was torn apart by the strike, and they had to dig through the rubble for five days, only to find some parts of her body.

“What sin did an innocent person like my daughter do to be killed in such a way?” her father said.

Her family asked that we not publish her photo.

29. Muhammad Iyad Hassouna, 14 years old

Muhammad was a school boy, beloved in the neighborhood and among his peers. He was seeking shelter with his family in their home, which was in the apartment complex next to the home of Khalid Mansour targeted in the airstrike.

His family of six were all injured in the strike, and his father Iyad is still in the hospital. Iyad has undergone 14 surgeries to remove shrapnel from his body, and has had two of his toes amputated.

30. Ismael Abdel-Hamid Dweik, 30 years old

Ismael was recently engaged, and his family of eight were preparing for his wedding. He had been working hard to secure his own home so he could have a fresh start for his new family.

His family said that he never really wanted to get married despite all the family and societal pressure, until he met Abeer Harb and fell in love with her, and asked his mother to arrange for the engagement.

Ismael and his mother Hanaa were killed in the same strike that targeted the building where Mansour and his colleagues were meeting. He was found in the rubble embracing his mother, trying to protect her.

31. Hanaa Ismael Dweik, 51 years old

Hanaa was a mother of six. On the day she was killed, her husband Abdul-Hamid had asked her if she wanted to visit one of their son’s homes nearby, but she said she wanted to stay at home and get some rest.

Abdul-Hamid and his other children were out of the house when the Israeli airstrike hit their home, with only Hanaa and his son Ismael inside.

Abdul-Hamid told Mondoweiss that at the time he didn’t know that Ismael had gone home, and thought he was still with his friends. After learning of the airstrike, Abdullah rushed home with the hopes that he would find his wife still alive. But he was shocked to find both his wife and his son Ismael dead.

As reports spread of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and PIJ in Gaza, Israel continued to conduct airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. According to Mondoweiss documentation, no PIJ fighters or affiliates were killed on Sunday. All the victims of Sunday’s airstrikes were non-combatants. Most were killed outside their homes and in the streets.

32. Nour Hussain Zwaidi, 19 years old

Nour was a young man who was described as boisterous and loved to joke around, always making people laugh wherever he went. Nour had recently been unsuccessful in completing high school, and had decided to work to help support his family of six.

He was sitting in an open air space on his family’s street, just five meters away from his home along with his neighbor when an airstrike hit the street, killing them both.

His father Hussain told Mondoweiss that Nour wanted some fresh air and to get out of the heat inside the house, after the neighborhood lost power. So he went outside to sit with his neighbor Ibrahim. Hussain had been chatting with both of them through the window when the airstrike hit.

33. Ibrahim Abu Salah, 44 years old

Ibrahim was a husband and father of five kids. He was sitting with his young neighbor Nour to try to get some fresh air when he was killed.

His mourning family was left behind in poverty and sadness after losing their father. He was their primary source of income, and was the person who put food on their table. Now the family has no one to take care of them.

“He was our supporter, I was always pushing him to go out and get food for the family, and he listened. Sometimes he would come back with something, and other times he wasn’t as successful. But he was there to share with me the responsibility of the family. Now I wonder to whom I should go to get my family food,” his wife Najwa Shahada told Mondoweiss.

34. Diaa Zohair Al-Boraai, 30 years old

Diaa suffered from a physical disability after he was injured in 2018 during Gaza’s Great March of Return. He had undergone over 30 surgeries on his leg and foot that shortened it by 7 centimeters due to severe bone damage.

He spent the last three years on medical trips between Turkey and Egypt, and was on a list to undergo another surgery in September. Despite his disability, his family said he worked hard, and used to sell some fruits and vegetables near his home to help make money.

Diaa owned a dog, who he treated like his best friend. His dog was also killed in the airstrike. He is survived by his parents and four siblings.

35. Ahmad Muhammad Affanah, 33 years old

Ahmad is a married man with a family of three kids, ages seven, five, and three. After an Israeli airstrike hit his neighbor Diaa’s home, he ran to his aid to try and help. While he was helping, the house collapsed on top of him, killing him.

His father described him as a “faithful, patient, kind, and shy person with good manners,” remarking that he was proud that his son died while trying to help people.

36. Jamil Ihab Nijm, 13 years old

Jamil Nijm was the oldest of four siblings, and was described as a social boy who used to love accompanying his father to work. He dreamed of one day becoming a doctor.

“If you saw him even once, you would love him” Ihab, Jamil’s father, told Mondoweiss.

Ihab had gone to the supermarket and left his kids and their cousins at home, warning them to stay inside to avoid any potential dangers, as Israeli bombs were still being dropped on Gaza.

Jamil and his cousins, bored from being stuck inside in the heat all day, decided to go to the nearby cemetery, where their late grandfather was buried after the power cut out. It wasn’t far from home, and was the only open and safe place for the kids to play and spend time outside.

“When the bomb fell, my wife started screaming, not knowing yet what had happened or where the bomb had dropped,” Ihab recounted. Ihab ran to the cemetery where a number of the neighbors had gathered.

“I immediately rushed to the place where my family and neighbors had gathered, looking for my son. I recognized part of his t-shirt, and instantly knew that he had been there,” Ihab said. “I started to collect his body parts.”

“Our sons were targeted in front of our eyes, and we collected their parts with our own hands,” he said.

37. Jamil Nijm al-Deen Nijm, 6 years old

Jamil was a member of a family of four, and was supposed to start first grade this year. He had gone with his cousins to the cemetery to visit their grandfather’s grave when he was killed.

38. Hamed Hidar Nijm, 17 years old

Hamed set off with his cousins to the cemetery, as they often did to try and get some fresh air, with no consideration that they might get killed. After all, the cemetery was supposed to be a safe place.

Hamed is one of six family members, and was supposed to start tawjihi, his secondary school final exams, in the upcoming school year.

39. Muhammad Salah Nijm, 17 years old

Muhammad was excited about starting his final year of high school next month, along with his cousin Hamed. His family of seven described him as an excellent young man with great manners, who was loved by everyone in his neighborhood.

He had gone to the cemetery with his cousins to escape the heat after the power cut when the airstrike hit them.

40. Nathmi Fayz Abu Karash, 17 years old

Nathmi was a friend and neighbor of the Nijm boys, and often joined them at the cemetery. He was one of a family of 11, and was a promising football player.

Ismael, his 23-year-old brother, had also accompanied Nathmi and the other boys to the cemetery, but had decided to go home just 10 minutes before the airstrike hit.

Ismael told Mondoweiss that their last conversation together had been foreboding, as the boys discussed what would happen to them if they were killed. One of the boys, Muhammad Salah Nijm, said he had a feeling he would die as a martyr. Another one of the boys, his friend Hamed, told him: “if you die, I will die too, we should be together.”

Nathmi had also replied: “you will go and leave me alone? If we’re going to die, I’m going with you.”

The Israeli airstrike killed them all.

41. Mahmoud Ahmad Dawoud, 21 years old

Mahmoud was a traffic policeman, and was on duty when an Israeli airstrike targeted the street he was working on, killing him and three others.

His family was preparing a new apartment for him in their home, with the hopes that he would get married and start his own family soon.

“I taught my son the noble morals that were given to us by Allah, and he was beloved to everyone,” his father said.

“Every time I walked out of my home, people stopped me to tell me how kind and beloved man my son is, people who I didn’t even know.”

Mahmoud is one of 10 family members, and used to sell sweets on the street before becoming a government employee two years ago. His family said that Mahmoud always encouraged his colleagues to be empathetic with people’s conditions, and to avoid handing out hefty traffic fines. He even used to pay for people’s tickets on their behalf if they couldn’t afford it.

After he was killed, people came to tell his family that just moments before the airstrike, he was urging drivers and pedestrians to go home to stay out of harm’s way.

42. Abdel-Rahman Jumaa Al-Silk, 22 years old

Abdel-Rahman was killed while he was on his way home from work, passing by Omar al-Mokhtar street, when the airstrike hit, killing him. He is survived by his parents and three siblings.

43. Shadi Imad Kehil, 27 years old

Shadi was a husband and father of two kids. He had recently purchased a horse and wagon which he used to go around Gaza City to sell different goods in the hopes to secure a good income for his family.

He was riding his horse and carriage on Omar al-Mokhtar street when the airstrike hit, killing him.

“He went out to get us food, but he came back to us in his coffin,” his wife, Asmaa, 25, told Mondoweiss.

44. Khalid Ayman Yassin, 27 years old

Khalid was one of 11 family members, and worked with his five brothers as street sweepers, often collecting plastic to sell for some change to the recycling units in the plastic factories in Gaza, which they did to help get food for their family.

Khalid was humble, and because of his family’s poor economic situation, put off getting married in order not to put economic strain on the family. As a surprise, his father scraped together enough money to buy him a new bedroom set.

“When I told him that you should get married now, and I showed him the room, he said that this is too much for him. He was very humble and simple,” his father Ayman recalled. “Khalid kept opening and closing the closet in disbelief. Now I am sleeping in his room, waiting for him to return.” Tears were streaming down his face.

Ayman also lost another son, Ismael, 22, in Israel’s offensive on Gaza in 2009.

45, 46, 47, & 48. Yasser Nimer Al-Nabahin, father, 49 years old, Muhammad Yasser Al-Nabahin, son, 12 years old, Ahmad Yasser Al-Nabahin, son, 9 years old, Dalia Yasser Al-Nabahin, daughter, 13 years old

Yasser is a captain of Gaza’s nautical police. 

“He had an honorable career of heroism and fighting against the occupation,” Yasser’s son Bilal, 23, said.

At the front of his home, Yasser had a garden where he used to sit with his family under the trees, and would tend to the garden and water the plants with care.

The home is located east of Al-Bureij Refugee Camp, close to the borders.

On Sunday, Yasser decided to go sit in his garden, and received one relative visiting from the house next door. After the guest left, Yasser started watering the trees with his sons. The airstrike targeted them all.

Yasser is a husband and a father of 8. Half of the children, two girls and two boys, survived because they were inside the house, but one of them was injured.

Muhammad: Muhammad had big dreams of becoming a traveling merchant — to go outside of Gaza and bring back new exciting things to trade. He always talked about growing up so he could work and achieve his dreams. In the summers he would make kites and sell them to the kids in the neighborhood.

“He had a kind, soft heart,” his older brother Bilal said.

Ahmad: Ahmad was the youngest boy among his siblings, and was described as being wise beyond his years.

“I always saw him as a little man, he was like a friend,” Bilal said, adding that Ahmad was always defending his older brother Muhammad when he was in trouble.

“Even though he was the youngest, he was tougher and braver than all the other brothers,” he said.

Dalia: Dalia had dreams of becoming a doctor, and the family used to call her “the doctor of the family” to encourage and support her to follow her dreams.

Her brother Bilal said she was an excellent student, and loved painting. She also used to help her mother around the house while her other sisters were busy studying.

“She loved her family, and never complained,” Bilal said.

49. Fatima Ayed Obeid, 15 years old

Fatima was a member of a poor family of 10. “She wanted lots of things — clothes, food, and toys — but we couldn’t give her everything because of our economic situation,” her father Ayed said.

He described her as a smart girl who loved school. She was playing outside of the family’s home with her younger sister Rahma, 11, when an Israeli airstrike hit them. Fatima died instantly, and Rahma was critically injured.

“Rahma cries and screams every day asking about her sister. She says her sister isn’t dead, and she waits for her to come back home,” Ayed said.

Tareq S. Hajjaj
Tareq S. Hajjaj is the Mondoweiss Gaza Correspondent and a member of Palestinian Writers Union. Follow him on Twitter at @Tareqshajjaj.