Names and faces of children killed in Israel's latest offensive on Gaza

2025-03-20 01:15:00

Abstract: Since Tuesday, Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 436 Palestinians, including many children. Personal accounts of loss flood social media.

According to local health authorities, at least 436 Palestinians have been killed since Israel abruptly resumed its war on Gaza on Tuesday. This figure is staggering and reflects the severity of the conflict.

The Israeli side claims that its targets are Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets. However, tragically, nearly 42% of the victims are children. Social media is flooded with mourning for the children killed in the attacks over the past two days, and these images are heartbreaking.

Rami Abdu, a prominent human rights worker, lost his niece and nephew on Tuesday. He wrote on X: "Israel can kill us at will, burn us alive, tear us to pieces, but it will never uproot us from our land. Justice and accountability will come – however long it takes." His words expressed grief for the deceased and a firm belief in justice.

Siwar Jamassi was one of the many children killed in Israel's attack on Tuesday, and she was Abdu's niece. Her siblings, parents, aunt, and grandparents also died in the attack. A photo of her sitting on a sofa in the ruins quickly spread on social media, sparking widespread attention and sympathy.

Omar and Rayan died with their mother, who was Abdu's sister. In an article Abdu published in 2021, he showcased Rayan's reaction to Israel's attacks on the Palestinian enclave at the time. Abdu wrote on X: "My niece Rayan, 14, displaced for over a year during the genocide, living in a tent." When Abdu asked about her, people would tell him she was "at work." Abdu added: "Rayan gathered the children from the nearby tents, started a class, and became 'Miss Rayan,' a beloved teacher in the ruins. Israel killed Rayan."

Gaming streamer Joseph Alminawi, known online as Swiftor, announced that his "nine-month-old cousin, his mother, his uncle, all their children" were killed in an Israeli attack. The baby was Mohammed Naim Shaban. Alminawi posted on X: "Fuck Netanyahu and anyone trying to justify this evil – it's all about greed, land, and staying in power."

Bisan's death was first announced on Facebook by her aunt, Heba Al-Sindi. Sindi said: "May God have mercy on you, Bisan, you are the apple of your aunt's eye, may God grant patience to your mother. I pray they find your brother." However, shortly after, Sindi announced the death of her nephew. She posted: "The martyr Ayman has reunited with his sister Bisan. A great loss. May God grant you patience, my sister, may God be with you." The five siblings and their mother were killed when an Israeli strike hit their tent in southern Gaza.

An unnamed baby was also killed in the attack, and journalist Abubakr Abed mourned the loss. "His last name is not Bibas," Abed said, referring to the remains of the Israeli children returned to Israel in the first phase of the ceasefire. "Western media is still justifying the genocide in Gaza."