In Memory: Ayman Shokor
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ayman 3
aymanPhotos from Yousef Aljamal
Ayman Adnan Mousa Shokor, 25 years old, was killed on July 28, 2014 by Israel in front of his house after heavy Israeli shelling in Alnusierat refugee camp.
His childhood friend, Yousef Aljamal, writes: “This status is in the memory of my childhood friend Ayman Shokor who was murdered hours ago after his family house was hit with Israeli artillery. We grew up together. We shared the most beautiful memories. Ayman was the best goalkeeper in the school. He loved birds like no one did. One time he gave me doves as a gift. He would visit me every time and then. A couple of days ago he posted on FB that his area is under heavy artillery shelling. A graduate of Arabic Literature, Ayman loved Arabic. He also was a painter. I can’t believe he is gone. He will be remembered forever. A great man and a childhood friend, he caused no harm to anyone. My deepest condolences to his parents, his brothers Omar, Mahmoud, Abood and little Luai. Ayman will always be remembered as a great goalkeeper. Israel didn’t score by murdering him in cold blood. RIP. “

In Memory: 5 Members of Dheir Family
Ezzat
ezzat 2Ezzat Dheir, 23 years old, was a journalist working for a local radio. He was killed on July 29, 2014 in an Israeli missile attack in Rafah.
The al-Hurriya (Freedom) Radio issued a statement denouncing the ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, including journalists and medics, adding that Ezzat was its correspondent in Gaza.
Four other members of the Dheir family were also killed:
  • Turkeyya Dheir, 80 years old
  • Yasmeen Dheir, 25 years old
  • Mary Dheir, 12 years old
  • Tasneem Dheir, 8 years old
Sources: IMEMC

In Memory: Bashir al-Hajjar
bashir hajjar
Dr. Bashir Ibrahim al-Hajjar was an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Islamic University of Gaza. He was killed on July 29, 2014 when Israel targeted a UNRWA vehicle in northern Gaza. His brother Samir was also killed in the attack.
Dr. al-Hajjar held 3 PhD degrees. Some of his research included “Internet addiction and psychological morbidity among nursing students in Gaza-Palestine,” “Occupational stress among hospital nurses in Gaza-Palestine,” and “Gaza Nurses After War: Are They Traumatized?”

Sources: Research Gate, Dr. Belal Adel in Gaza

Why we chose “Humanize” Palestine
There are many reasons we chose to title the website “Humanize Palestine.” The name “Humanize Palestine” does not mean to suggest that Palestinians are not human already or that Palestinians need to prove their humanity, but rather we hope to challenge Western media’s dehumanization and “othering” of Palestinians. The media continues to reduce Palestinians to numbers, but by attaching a photo or a story to their names, they are essentially revived and continue to live in our collective memory permanently. We can celebrate their humanity in the face of oppression, one of the greatest forms of resistance and resilience. Palestinian lives are not defined by oppression, massacres and occupation. In learning details about their lives, and not just their deaths, we see daily acts of Palestinian resistance: the aspiring lawyer, the baker, the painter, the mother of five are all celebrated as their beautiful existence sustains the Palestinian fight for freedom and justice. We connect our common interests and our shared dreams in a way that would have otherwise been impossible. Our relationships become personal as each person grows more and more as our brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin, and neighbor. By sharing their stories, Palestinians are able to speak for themselves and share themselves with the world, each life commemorated contributing to the ongoing resistance. This is what it means to humanize Palestine.
We should make an effort to remember their names and their stories. They will forever be remembered as our heroes. They will be the reason we see a free Palestine.

In Memory: Salah, Hadi, & Abdul-Aziz Hassanein
salah
Salah Abu Hassanein 2
Salah Ahmed Hassanein, 45 years old, a spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on his home on July 24, 2014. The house is located in Al Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah and was completely destroyed in the attack.
His sons Hadi Salah al-Din Hassanein, 12 years old, and Abdul-Aziz Salah Ahmad Hassanein, 15 years old, were also killed in the attack.
Another 17 people were injured in the attack, including 9 children.
Sources: Al-Mezan

In memory: Ahmad Ibrahim Shbeir
Ahmad Ibrahim Shbeir
Ahmad Ibrahim Shbeir, 24 years old, was killed on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 in Khan Younis, after the Israeli army fired a missile at him while on his motorcycle. Hani Awad Sammour, 27 years old, was also killed during this attack, and many more were injured.
Source: IMEMC 

In Memory: Khalid Sahmoud
khalid
khalid 4
khalid 2
khalid 3
Khalid is pictured on the left
Khalid Abdul-Sattar Sahmoud, 20 years old, was killed east of Khan Younis in an Israeli airstrike on July 27, 2014 while riding a motorcycle. He was a young civil engineer.
His cousin, Ahmed Sahmoud, was killed on July 20, 2014.
Screen Shot 2014-07-29 at 12.34.09 AM
Khalid’s last tweet: “I entered Kuza’a today & I have never seen anything like this in my life, complete destruction!”
khalid drawingKhalid loved to draw
zakaria
Khalid left behind his best friend, Zakaria. Above, the two show their love for each other.
Source: Ma’an News, Khalid’s Twitter 

In memory: Ziada family
On July 20, 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a 3-story house belonging to Jameel Sha’ban Ziada, in which 20 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza City. The house was destroyed and 6 members of the family, including two women and a child, and a guest were killed.
The names of those who were killed include:
  • Jameel Sha’ban Ziada, 53 years old
  • Bayan ‘Abdul Latif Ziada, 39 years old
  • Yousef Sha’ban Ziada, 43 years old
  • Omar Sha’ban Ziada, 32 years old
  • Sha’ban Jameel Ziada, 12 years old
  • Muftiya Mohammed Ziada, 70 years old
  • Mohammed Mahmoud al-Maqadma, 30 years old
Bayan Ziada 2
Bayan Ziada
Pictured: Bayan ‘Abdul Latif Ziada, 39 years old 
Omar Ziada
Pictured: Omar Sha’ban Ziada, 32 years old
Sha'ban Ziada
Pictured: Sha’ban Jameel Ziada, 12 years old 
Source: Salma Ziada and PCHR

In Memory: 4 Members of the al-Yazji Family
photo (1)Yasmeen and Hatem al-Yazji (Source: Dr.Bassel Abuwarda)
On Monday July 21, 2014, Israeli warplanes bombarded a house belonging to the al-Yazji family at al-Karama intersection in the west of Jabalya.  As a result, Wajdi Mahmoud ‘Ali al-Yazji, 54; his wife Safinaz Nabil al-Yazji, 50; and his grandchildren, Yasmeen Nayef al-Yazji, 4, and Hatem Zain Nayef al-Yazji, 3, were killed.  Four members of the family were also wounded and the house was heavily damaged. (Source: PCHR)

Tribute to Gaza
Supporters of Humanize Palestine have shared their own art and poetry to honor Palestinian lives who were stolen as a result of Israel’s brutal operation against the people in Gaza. The piece below was submitted by Natasha Abdul Karim.
photo (3)
Natasha Abdul Karim is originally of Pakistani descent, but was born in America and raised in Qatar. She currently resides is Kalamazoo, Michigan and is a nursing student. 

In Memory: Mustafa Hosni Aslan
Mostafa Hosni
mustafa
mustafa 2
mustafa and son 2
mustafa with son
Mustafa Hosni Aslan, 22 years old, was wounded during clashes Friday, June 20, 2014 in Qalandiya by Israeli Occupation Forces. He was shot in the head by Israeli forces when they raided the camp before dawn that Friday. He was pronounced dead in the hospital on June 25, 2014. Above, Mustafa is seen with his baby son.
Two other Palestinians were shot and wounded during the raid. 
Source: Ma’an News Agency

In Memory: Salem Khaleel Shamaly
Boy
Salem K. Shamaly
Salem Khaleel Shamaly, 23 years old, was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper on Sunday, July 20, 2014, while he was looking for his relatives in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood. He was shot multiple times while on the ground amid the rubble. His family learned of his death through a video that was released.
“In footage filmed by a Palestinian TV crew and released by the International Solidarity Movement, Salem Khaleel Shamaly searches through the rubble created by Israeli air strikes in hope of finding his family in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood.”
According to Salem’s cousin Mohammad Al-Qattawi, Salem’s decomposed body was brought to his father on July 26, 2014, and his family was unable to say goodbye to him. Salem’s father waited 11  years to receive his first son. He worked as a grocer with his father in Gaza City’s old market and leaves behind his 7 sisters and his parents.
Source: International Business Times, Mohammad Al-Qattawi, New York Times, Electronic Intifada

In Memory: Hossam Abdul Ghani Yassin
Husam Abdel Yassin
Hossam
Hossam Abdul Ghani Yassin, 15 years old, was killed Saturday morning, July 26, 2014, in an Israeli strike on his home, in Gaza City. Hossam Yassin is the grandson of the founder and political leader of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Hossam’s father Abdel Ghani Yassin reports on his facebook page, that Hossam was buried next to his grandfather.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was assassinated on March 22, 2004 by Israeli Occupying Forces, as he was leaving the mosque during Fajr (dawn) prayer.
Sources: Haaretz and Electronic intifada  

In memory: Yahya Abu Harbied
Yaiha Abu Harbied July 24th 2014 beit hanoun
Yahya Abu Harbied was killed on July 24, 2014, in an Israeli tank attack that targeted a group of people in the Domar Street. He was from Beit Hanoun.
Yahya was related to Hind Abu Harbied, 10 year old girl who died on July 14, 2014, due to a heart attack from the sound of the bombs in Beit Hanoun.
Source: Abir Elzowidi and PNN/Gaza

In Memory: Hind Shadi Abu Harbied
Beit hanoun kids
Hind 1
Hind Shadi Abu Harbied, 10 years old, was killed on July 14, 2014 in Beit Hanoun. She died from a heart attack from the bombs that were hitting the homes in her neighborhood. Her smile radiates of innocence and beauty.
She is related to Yahya Abu Harbied, who was killed on July 24, 2014.
Source: Abir Elzowidi 

In Memory: Mohammad Ibrahim El-Masri, Sahar El-Masri, and Aseel Ibrahim El-Masri
Mohammad Ibrahim El Masri- Beit Hanoun 2
Mohammad Ibrahim El Masri- Beit Hanoun (1)
Mohammad Ibrahim El-Masri, 13 years old, was killed on July 10, 2014 in Beit Hanoun, along with his mother Sahar El-Masri, 40 years old, and his sister Aseel Ibrahim El-Masri. Aseel was getting ready for her wedding party that was supposed to occur after the holy month of Ramadan, sometime in August.
“Mohammad used to love playing football. He loved acting and dancing Debka. Everybody loved his smile and his sense of humor. His friends are very sad about his death, and say that they will miss him and his smile.”
Source: Abir Elzowidi 

In Memory: Eid Fadhelat
eidPhoto source: Younes Arar
eid 2
Photo source: Ma’an News
Eid Abd al-Kadir Fadhelat, 28 years old, was killed on July 26, 2014 in clashes that took place after a demonstration in solidarity with Gaza. Israeli soldiers invaded the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, where Eid was killed.
From Ma’an News: Red Crescent coordinator Mohammad Khamis Badawi said that Fadhelat was shot with several bullets in the chest and shoulder, and was taken to a hospital in Hebron but died before reaching the emergency room.
Sources: IMEMC, Ma’an News

In Memory: Khaled Odeh
Khaled Odeh
Khaled Azmi Odeh, 18 years old, was shot in the chest by an Israeli settler and killed on July 25, 2014 in the West Bank city of Huwara, outside the city of Nablus. The shooting came occurred around 2:30 pm, after a protest against Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Witnesses said a person in a car believed to be a settler killed two Palestinians, Khaled Odeh and Tayeb Shehada, and wounded three others by Huwara. Palestinian witnesses say a settler was with his wife in a car, then he stopped and took out and his weapon and started to shoot.

Sources: Haaretz, Ajnad News

In Memory: Tayeb Abu Shehada
Tayeb Abu ShehadaPhoto Source: Ajnad News
Tayeb Mohammed Abu Shehada, 22 years old, was killed on July 25, 2014. He was shot in the head, under his eye, in the West Bank town of Huwara, near Nablus, during a protest against Israel’s assault on Gaza.
He was part of the hacker group Anonymous and wore an Anonymous mask as he protested against the Israeli Occupation Forces.
CyberGuerrilla posted the following:
“Tayyeb Shehadah wasn’t only wearing a mask, he was Legion. 1 of us. Today Israel murdered a Anonymous.
To them We shall join their struggle: nor shall We deprive them of the fruit of anything of their works, lower your weapons humbly for them, with mercy, peace and blessings be upon them who seek love.”
On the CyberGuerrilla site above is a song dedicated to Tayeb.
Occupied Palestine gathered a collection of #Anonymous messages honoring Tayeb.

This mask was worn by Al Tayeb Mohamed Abu Shehadeh v03Artwork from Hanna Belaidi from France

In Memory: Abd Al-Hamid Breigheth
Abd al-Hamid
Abd al-Hamid Breigheth, 35 years old, was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank village of Beit Ummar on July 25, 2014 during a protest against the assault on Gaza. He was among three Palestinians who were shot and killed today in Beit Ummar.
Photo courtesy of Palestine Solidarity Project

In Memory: Nasri Taqatqa
Nasri Taqatqa (1)
Nasri Mahmoud Taqatqa, 14 years old, was killed today, July 25, 2014, in Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem. He was the only son to his parents among six sisters. His father is said to have commented: “My son is not any more precious than the children of Gaza.”
[Source: Rima Najjar Merriman & Quds News Network]

In Memory: Hashem Khader Abu Maria
Hashem Abu Maria
Hashem 2
Hashem Khader Abu Maria, 45 years old, staff member and Human Rights Defender of the Defense for Children International-Palestine, was killed today, Friday July 25, 2014, by Israeli forces while peacefully participating in a solidarity march with Gaza. He was among three Palestinians who were shot and killed today in the West Bank village of Beit Ummar.
“Hashem served as the coordinator of DCI-Palestine’s community mobilization unit, promoting constructive child participation throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. His most recent work focused on Palestinian teens monitoring and documenting child rights violations in Hebron. He is survived by his wife Samira, his son Ayham, 11, and his two daughters, Siba, 6, and Majdal, 13.” via DCI-Palestine
See more at: http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/human-rights-defender-among-three-palestinians-killed-live-fire-west
[Photos courtesy of DCI-Palestine]

In Memory: Elzowidi Family
On Saturday, July 19, 2014, Israeli airstrikes and indiscriminate bombings hit the home of the Elzowidi family, in Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip, and killed five members of the Elzowidi family:
  • Angam Elzowidi, 2 years old
  • Roaya Elzowidi, 6 years old
  • Dalia Abdel Hamid Elzowidi, 37 years old
  • Mahmoud Abdel Hamid Elzowidi, 23 years old
  • Mohammad Khalid Jamil Elzowidi, 20 years old
10525747_809549362389496_8035617304623283701_nPictured: Mahmoud Elzowidi (Left) and Mohammad Elzowidi (Right)
Chilling video, as the family describe the incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHz57_ILyhQ
 Abir Elzowidi, a cousin of the Elzowidi painfully describes the Elzowidi family’s final moments:
“A few days ago, five members of my family—including two small children 2 and 6 years old—were killed in their homes in that village of Beit Hanoun in Gaza, while baking their bread for the day wishing to share it together praying to God to spend one more day with each other while they watching Israel randomly bombing neighbors. Israel give them what they wished for! But sadly dead and buried next to each other. One child, a five-year old boy with special needs, lies injured in the hospital and has been left orphaned. The bread that they baked left soaking wet in their blood and my family kept picking up the hair and scalp and the little bodies of the two girls that was found in pieces. Now several other family members have been forced to leave their homes, and others watched their homes destroyed with this evil bombs and are homeless for the second time in their life after the 1948 “Nakba,” including my 2 grandmother Fatimah, 93 year-old and Aisha 84 years old. Why [do] they do this? What crime did my people commit for Israel to kill them?”
[Photo courtesy of Abir Elzowidi, cousin of the Elzowidi family]

In Memory: Mohammad Ziad Al-A’raj
Mohammad Al A3raj
We would like to honor Mohammad Ziad Al-A’raj, who was killed on July 24, 2014 on his 17th birthday. Mohammad was shot dead by Israeli forces as he marched with thousands of Palestinians from Al Am’ari, a refugee camp in Ramallah, to the Qalandiya checkpoint that bars free Palestinian passage to illegally annexed Jerusalem. He was a resident of Qalandiya refugee camp. News sources did not specify his hometown in Palestine.
Mohammad AlAraj 2
According to Al-Jazeera: Local residents described the boy was a well-mannered teenager, who had been hoping to study hotel and restaurant management. “He even trained at a local restaurant after school hours,” said Mahmoud Awad, one of A’raj’s colleagues. “He had a bright future, and now he’s gone.”
May he rest in peace.
The pictures of Palestinian Mohammed al-Araj, who medics said was killed by Israeli troops, is seen on a wall of a U.N. school at Qalandia refugee camp
Posters honoring Mohammad al-A’raj, killed by Israeli fire during a massive demonstration at Qalandiya checkpoint overnight, are seen on the wall of a United Nations school in Qalandiya refugee camp near Ramallah on July 25. (Shadi Hatem / APA images)

In Memory: Abdul Rahman Ziad Abu Hein
journalist killed (1)
abdel rahman
Journalist Abdul Rahman Ziad Abu Hein, 28 years old, was martyred on July 23, 2014 at dawn when his home was targeted by Israeli bombs in the Shuja’iyyah neighborhood of Gaza City. He was the producer at Al-Kitab Satellite TV station. He is the third journalist to be killed since the beginning of Israel’s attack on Gaza. The two others are Khalid Hamad and Hamed Shihab.

In Memory: The Al-Kilani Family
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kilani kids
We honor 7 members of the al-Kilani family:
  • Ibrahim Deib Ahmad al-Kilani, 53 years old. He was an engineer.
  • Taghrid Shoeban Mohammad al-Kilani, 47 years old.
  • Yassr Ibrahim Deib al-Kilani, 8 years old.
  • Elias Ibrahim Deib al-Kilani, 4 years old.
  • Susan Ibrahim Deib al-Kilani, 11 years old.
  • Reem Ibrahim Deib al-Kilani, 12 years old.
  • Yasmeen Ibrahim Deeb al-Kilani, 9 years old.
The al-Kilani family was killed on July 22, 2014 by an Israeli airstrike that hit the Salam building in Gaza City. It has been reported that Taghreed al-Kilani was preparing an iftar, the meal that ends a day of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, when Israel shelled them. The al-Kilanis lived in Beit Lahia, in the north-west of Gaza, but had moved to the center of Gaza City before the air strikes in response to an Israeli evacuation request. The family also held German nationality.

In Memory: 9 Members of the al-Skafi Family
anas
sa'ad
Anas and Sa’ad Akram al-Skafi were 18 year old twin brothers. The brothers did not get a chance to celebrate their excellent Tawjihi scores. Anas got 88% & Sa’ad  got 91%.
Abdul-Rahman grad party
Abdel Rahman Akram Mohammed al-Skafi was 22 years old. Above, Abdel Rahman is seen celebrating his graduation.
Isam Atieh Said al-Skafi was 26 years old.
Ali Mohammed Hassan al-Skafi, was 27 years old.
Mohammed Hassan Mohammad al-Skafi was 53 years old.
Moussaeb al-Khayr Salah al-Din Said al-Skafi was 27 years old.
Mojahed Marwan Said al-Skafi was 20 years old.
Akram Mohammed Ali al-Skafi was 63 years old.
The al-Skafi family members were killed in the Shujaiyya massacre on July 20, 2014.

In Memory: 7 Members of the Al-Hallaq Family
Saji
Brothers Kenan Hassan al-Hallaq (left), 6 years old, and Saji Hassan al-Hallaq, 4 years old (right). Their father, Hassan, said Kenan loved solving puzzles, and the boys were looking forward to a stable life (see video below).
Kenan and Saji
boys
Saji (left) and Kenan (right)
kenan saji
kenanKenan shares a beautiful smile with the world.
samar
samar 2Samar Osama al-Hallaq, 29 years old, was the boys’ mother. She was 8 months pregnant with another child on the way. Samar was involved with the Palestinian History Tapestry Project. The project aims to support the traditional craft of Palestinian needlewomen and record Palestine’s history through the sewing of a tapestry.
The boys’ aunt, Hala Akram al-Hallaq, 27 years old, studied English Language and Literature at al-Aqsa University in Gaza. She also served as a project assistant to UNRWA in 2009.
mohammad
hamood
Hala and Hani’s son, Mohammad Hani al-Hallaq,  was 2 years old.
Hani
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Hala’s husband , Hani Mohammad al-Hallaq, 29 years old, was a web developer at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Gaza.
Hala’s mother, Suad Mohammad al-Hallaq was 62 years old.
The Al-Hallaq family was displaced from Shuja’iyya a few days prior seeking a safer place. They were killed right before breaking fast on July 20, 2014 in an Israeli attack on their house in the al-Ramal area of Gaza.
panelA tapestry spacer made my Samar, titled Steadfast.
The image symbolizes the stand of Palestinian women prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails. The Hebrew letters stand for Shabas, the Israeli Prison Service
Hassan al-Hallaq, father of Kenan and Saji, survived the strike, but he lost his wife and sons. He speaks about his beautiful family in the interview above.

In Memory: Khalid Hamad
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Journalist Khalid Hamad was killed by Israel on Sunday July 20, 2014, when they fired upon an ambulance that he was riding in.
His crime? Reporting the Shuja’iyya massacre in Gaza that killed 70+, and injured 300+.

In Memory: Jihad, Waseem, Fulla Shuheiber
Jihad and Waseem
shuheiber 1
shuheiber 2
Jihad Issam Shuheiber, 10 years old, and Waseem Issam Shuheiber, 9 years old, were both killed, along with their cousin Afnan (Fulla) Tarek Shuheiber, 10 years old, in an Israeli airstrike on July 17, 2014 in Gaza City. They were playing at the rooftop of their home when they were attacked. The cease fire had just ended 30 minutes earlier. Above, Waseem (top) and Jihad (bottom) receive awards at their local mosque.
Testimony from Wisam Shuheiber, Afnan’s father: 
My wife and I have four children. We live in the same building as my brother Tareq, my father and my sisters. My brothers Yasser, ‘Issam and Muhammad live nearby.
On Thursday, 17 July 2014, just after 5:00 P.M., I was at home. My wife was preparing food for the meal that breaks Ramadan fasting for the day. The rest of the family was at home. We were all waiting to hear the Muazzin call out for evening prayers, marking the end of the fast. My little ones went outside to play with my brothers’ young kids. We didn’t see any reason to keep them home, because things were quiet and there are no fields or farmland nearby that the army might bomb. I was sitting reading the Quran when suddenly I heard a loud explosion. At first, I thought it was in the street or in a neighboring house. But I quickly realized it actually came from the roof of my house. I couldn’t believe my house had been bombed. I ran up the stairs to the roof. Everything was full of dust and smoke. When they settled, I saw a terrible sight: a pile of five children lying one on top of the other. They were my children ‘Udai, 15, and Afnan, 8, and my nephews Waseem, 7, and Bassel and Jihad, 10.
I was stunned. I picked Afnan up. The rest of the family had already come up to the roof. They were shouting and hysterical. My brothers and I picked the children up and ran down to the street with them. We waited until ambulances came and took them to a-Shifaa hospital. On the way to the hospital, Afnan passed away in my arms. I fainted. When I came to, we were at the hospital. They told me ‘Udai’s intestines were badly injured and that he had several fractures in his leg. Later, they told me that two of my brother ‘Issam’s kids were dead too – Waseem, 7, and Jihad, 10. Bassel, my brother Yasser’s son, was very badly injured. He has fractures in his skull and arm. He was in a very serious condition. At first we thought he’d been killed, too.
When my son ‘Udai came around, he told us that he, Afnan and their three cousins had gone up to the roof not long before the bombing, to feed the pigeons that he keeps in a coop there. They wanted to pass the time until the evening meal.
Based on the damage to the roof, we think it was a small missile fired by an unmanned aerial vehicle. Thank God, at least, that it wasn’t an F-16 missile, because a lot more people would have been hurt.

In Memory: Ahed, Zakaria, Ismail & Muhammad Bakr
Ahed
Ahed Atef Bakr was 9 years old when his life was stolen.
Zakaria
Zakaria Ahed Bakr was 10 years old when he was killed by an Israeli attack.
Ismail
Ismail Mohammed Bakr, 10 years old, is seen with his family above, before being killed.
Muhammad Ramiz Bakr was 11 years old.
Bakr beachThe four boys play on the beach four months before their death. Photo credit: @siammohammed
Bakr cousins
Bakr run
Sons of fishermen, these four cousins grew up frequenting the beach and enjoyed it as a place to play. However, on July 17, 2014, Ahed, Zakaria, Ismail, and Muhammad were killed on Gaza’s beach in front of Al-Deira Hotel by Israeli navy shelling. After the Israeli navy first attacked the port, the four boys began to run away, but Israel targeted them in a second strike that left them lifeless. The murder was witnessed by dozens of international journalists.
Bakr art
Artist Amir Schibi’s tribute to the fallen Bakr cousins (above).
Bakr football
Usman Dar’s tribute to the four little footballers (above).
Bakr art 2

Bakr Red Petals on the Beach
This beautiful poem, “Bakr Red Petals on the Beach” was submitted by Sonia Gutiérrez, in honor of Ahed, Zakiaria, Ismail and Muhammad Bakr. It is written in both English and Spanish.
On July 17, 2014, Ahed, Zakaria, Ismail, and Muhammad were killed on Gaza’s beach in front of Al-Deira Hotel by Israeli navy shelling. After the Israeli navy first attacked the port, the four boys began to run away, but Israel targeted them in a second strike that left them lifeless. The murder was witnessed by dozens of international journalists.
See previous post commemorating the boys at: http://humanizepalestine.com/2014/07/17/bakr/.

Bakr Red Petals on the Beach
July 16, 2014
By Sonia Gutiérrez

With bull’s-eye precision
on an open shore,
the Flower Killers came to Gaza
to find red lilies, playing as flowers
often do.
With blind arrogance
and repugnance so deep
as Alabama hate, the Flower Killers
zeroed in on four budding lilies
prancing on the beach.
On a summer day
on that Gazan fishermen’s sand,
as Flower Killers often do,
mechanical and exact,
with morbid smiles,
they shelled the flowers—
Ahed, Zakaria, Ismael, and Mohamed.
Scattered red petals
so bright like Palestine,
rise and blow away.
Winds! Take these petals
to distant shores, so the world can see
how the Flower Killers,
chanted and cheered
when they heard the red echoing
screams of petals falling.

Pétalos rojos Bakr en la playa
16 de julio de 2014

Con precisión en el blanco
sobre una costa abierta,
los Mata Flores vinieron a Gaza
a buscar las lilas rojas, jugando
como suelen hacer las flores.
Con arrogancia ciega
y repugnancia tan profunda
como el odio de Alabama,
los Mata Flores apuntaron
a cuatro lilas en ciernes
saltando en la playa.
Un día de verano en esa arena
de los pescadores de Gaza,
como los Mata Flores suelen hacer,
mecánicos y exactos con sonrisas
morbosas, vaciaron su balas sobre las lilas—
Ahed, Zakaria, Ismael, y Mohamed.
Pétalos rojos derramados
tan brillantes como Palestina,
levántense y vuelen.
¡Vientos! Llévense estos pétalos a costas
distantes, para que el mundo vea
como los Mata Flores cantaron y animaron
cuando escucharon el eco rojo
de los gritos de los pétalos cayéndose.

In Memory: Sarah, Omar & Jihad Sheikh al-Eid
Sarah Omar Ahmad Sheikh al-Eid, 4 years old, was playing with her father and uncle in the family’s garden when she was fatally wounded by shrapnel.
Omar Ahmed Abdullah Sheikh al-Eid, 26 years old, was Sarah’s father.
Jihad Ahmed Abdullah Sheikh al-Eid, 48 years old, was Sarah’s uncle.

The three were killed on July 14, 2014 when their home was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the Musabbeh neighborhood in the north of Rafah.

In memory: 18 members of Al-Batsh Family
On Monday July 14, 2014, Israeli warplanes bombarded a house belonging to the al-Batsh family in Gaza City without a prior warming, killing 18 members of the al-Batsh family.
We would like to honor the lives of:
  1. Nahedh Na’im al-Batsh, 41, Khan Younis.
  2. Baha’ Majed al-Batsh, 28, Khan Younis.
  3. Qusai Issam al-Batsh, 12, Khan Younis.
  4. Aziza Yousef al-Batsh, 59, Khan Younis.
  5. Ahmad No’man al-Batsh, 27, Khan Younis.
  6. Mohammad Issam al-Batsh, 17, Khan Younis.
  7. Yahia ‘Ala’ Al-Batsh, 18, Khan Younis.
  8. Jalal Majed al-Batsh, 26, Khan Younis.
  9. Mahmoud Majed al-Batsh, 22, Khan Younis
  10. Majed Sobhi al-Batsh, Khan Younis.
  11. Marwa Majed al-Batsh, 25, Khan Younis.
  12. Khaled Majed al-Batsh, 20, Khan Younis.
  13. Ibrahim Majed al-Batsh, 18, Khan Younis.
  14. Manar Majed al-Batsh, 13, Khan Younis.
  15. Amal Hussein al-Batsh, 49, Khan Younis.
  16. Anas Ala’ al-Batsh, 10, Khan Younis.
  17. Qusay Ala’ al-Batsh, 20, Khan Younis
  18. Amal Alaa’ Al-Batsh, 1.5, Khan Younis
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Ibrahim Majed al-Batsh, 18 years old
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Mohammed Isam al-Batsh, 17 years old
Mohammed participated in his high school exams in Gaza, known as Tawjihi, last month and, anxiously anticipating his results, told his mother he would make her proud of his “impressive grades.” Mohammed, however, did not live to even celebrate his truly high results.
Om Mohammed (Mohammed’s mother): “They’ve stolen my happiness. I wish he had lived to know his results,” she said, while drying her tears. “I used to ask him what he’d study at university, and he’d jokingly tell me, ‘let’s hope I pass first!’”

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Amal Alaa’ Al-Batsh, 1.5, Khan Younis
Khaled Batash
Khaled Al-Batsh, Senior leader of Islamic Jihad
Om Mohammad, the mother of Mohammad and Qusay, described her younger son Qusay as “innocent” and “the most beloved kid” in the family.
“Everyone loved him,” she said, “and he loved football. His friends would always come to ask him to play with them. He used to sit with people older than him and chat with them about the World Cup.”

In memory: Anas Yousef Qandil and Yousef Mohammad Qandil
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Anas Yousef Qandil, 17 years old, was killed on Saturday July 12, 2014, in Jabalya Refugee Camp. He wrote on his Facebook two days before he was killed: “I can not sleep, when are you going to attack my home.” He just passed his tawjeehi (high school) scores, but did not live to celebrate his success.
A poem for Anas Qandil, written by Pina Piccolo
Anas’s father, Yousef Mohammad Qandil (Bottom Right), 33 years old, was killed on the same day by a different Israeli airstrike.

In Memory: Sahir Abu Namous
Sahir Abu Namous, 4 years old, was killed on Friday July 11, 2014 by shrapnel from a missile launched by Israel. His cousin described his killing: “He was playing and smiling next to his mother when missile shrapnel divided his head.”

In Memory: Hamed Shehab
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Hamed Shehab, 30 years old, was a journalist who worked for the Gaza-based news website Media 24. He was the driver in the car that Israel struck, killing him on July 9, 2014 in Gaza City. Above, Hamed is seen enjoying his last suhour, in Shifa Hospital.

In Memory: 7 Members of the Kaware Family
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Hussein Yousef Hussein Kaware, above, was 13 years old.
Basem Salem Hussein Kaware was 10 years old.
Mohammad Ali Faraj Kaware was 12 years old.
Abdullah Hamed Kaware was 6 years old.
Qasem Jaber Adwan Kaware was 12 years old .
Riad Mohammed Kaware and Mohammed Ibrahim Kaware were both 50 years old.
Siraj Eyad Abdul-‘Aal, 8 years old, was also killed in the bombing.
Mohammad Ibrahim Kaware revealed that five Kaware families live in one building. They’d gather to breakfast together around one meal. The Kaware children Mohammad, Qasem and Basem always looked at Hussein as their role model in keeping up fast and good school performance, as he always assisted them in their studies.
On July 8, 2014, following an Israeli telephone warning, all family members, realizing by experience it wasn’t a prank, ran to the street. Basem insisted on bringing his books, so did Mohammad. Qasem however shouted in terror after the Israeli drone fired a warning missile at the house, so he fell to the ground beside Hussein. They evacuated immediately after the warning missile. A number of neighbors, however, gathered on the roof in an effort to prevent the bombing. Shortly after 3 p.m., an Israeli airstrike leveled the building, and killed seven people, including five children, on the spot and injured 28 others.
An in-depth report found that, contrary to Israeli military claims, the bombing of the Kaware house was not accidental.

In Memory: Members of the Hamad Family
On Tuesday July 8, 2014, six members of the Hamad family in Beit Hanoun, located in the northern Gaza stripped, were killed by an Israeli airstrike.
The names of the martyrs include:
  1. Hafiz Mohammed Hamad, 30, an Islamic Jihad commander
  2. Ibrahim Mohammed Hamad, 26
  3. Mehdi Mohammed Hamad, 46
  4. Fawzia Khalil Hamad, 62
  5. Dunia Mehdi Hamad, 16
  6. Suha Hamad, 25
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[Pictured] Ibrahim Mohammad Hamad was killed after IOF targeted a home in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza.

In Memory: Mohammad Abu Khdeir
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Mohammad Abu Khdeir, 15 years old was on his way to Fajr prayers, when a group of Israeli teenagers stopped him and pretended to ask for directions. They then kidnapped him by forcing him into a car. After he was kidnapped, he was burned alive after suffering head injuries. Reports indicate that his kidnappers had poured fuel into his body before being burned. This incident took place in the Beit Hanina/Shuafat neighborhood of Jerusalem. He was murdered on July 2, 2014.
makSubmitted by Reem Farah
“I wish I could make one for every Palestinian that has been killed but after the fifth killing it became apparent that Palestinians will be massacred and stripped even from a mourning period.”

In Memory: Mohammed Dudin
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Mohammed Dudin, 15 years old, was killed on June 20, 2014 by Israeli Occupation Forces in the village of Dura, near Hebron.
From Haaretz: After the start of Israel’s “Operation Brother’s Keeper” and the closure imposed on the Hebron area, Mohammed’s father, Jihad, was unable to get to work. His son Mohammed, the younger of his two boys, was already on summer vacation, and the two used the time to continue the piecemeal construction of the family’s home on the floor above the apartments of Jihad’s four brothers. It was only on holidays and during periods of forced unemployment that father and teenage son hauled cinder blocks to the heights of the new third-floor dwelling.
Before they went to sleep on Thursday June 19, 2014, Jihad asked Mohammed whether he would be able to help him haul up more gray cinder blocks on Friday, too. Mohammed told his father to wake him early and they would go on with the construction. The two went to bed around 11 o’clock, exhausted from the day’s work. Jihad slept until 6 the next morning, when he was abruptly awakened by the shouts of children in the yard. Mohammed had leaped out of bed in the dark of night, his sleep broken by the din of Israeli forces on the move as hundreds of soldiers raided the town.
On the days when Mohammed did not help his father in building their new home, he wandered the town’s streets, a tray perched on his head, selling hilbeh, a local fried sweet that he bought for half a shekel (15¢) each and sold for 1 shekel.
He was a strikingly handsome boy. His family say he was the best food hawker in town: Everyone was captivated by his winning smile and bought sweets from him. 
Mohammed’s cousin Mahmoud, who was with Mohammed at his final moments of life, says that Mohammed managed to say, “Take care of yourself, take care of my parents, I love them.”

In Memory: Alaa Mohammad Odeh
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Alaa Mohammad Odeh, 30 years old, was killed by Israeli soldiers at Za’atara checkpoint on the night of June 2, 2014 in the West Bank town of Huwara. Hundreds of mourners from Nablus and the surrounding towns arrived to Huwara around 1pm to take part in the traditional funeral rites – a march to the house of the deceased, prayers, and finally the interment of the body. Mohammad is survived by his wife and two young children.
According to witnesses, he had gone to the checkpoint that night to get an order of cell phones, and had left his taxi to pick up the delivery. As he approached the checkpoint on foot, Israeli soldiers opened fire, shooting him first in the legs, then the upper body, over fourteen times. Witnesses report that a Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance arrived at the scene while Odeh was still alive, however the soldiers did not allow the medics to treat him, or take the body to a hospital. This story has been corroborated by the taxi driver, as well as other Palestinian eyewitnesses.
See more at: http://iwps.info/2014/06/04/huwara-mourns-the-loss-of-martyr-alaa-mohammad-odeh/#sthash.JHaRm3ut.dpuf

In Memory: Nadeem Siam Nuwara and Muhammad Mahmoud Odeh Abu Al-Thahir
Nadeem Nuwara
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Nadeem Siam Nuwara, 17 years old
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Muhammad Mahmoud Odeh Abu Al-Thahir, 16 years old
Nadeem Siam Nuwara, 17 years old, and Muhammad Mahmoud Odeh Abu Al-Thahir, 16 years old, were shot and killed by the Israeli military on May 19, 2014. The two boys were participating Israeli’s use of administrative detention, in a demonstration near Ofer military prison when they were shot.