Rafah, Gaza Strip – Shehab, 19, stands having a look uncertainly on the digicam, as though not sure if it’ll harm him or whether or not he needs to percentage his ache.
“My identify is Shehab Omar Abu al-Hanud,” he starts. “My mom died. Her identify is Ghada Youssef Ahmed Abu al-Hanud.”
He’s very narrow and infrequently out of boyhood, with sparse facial hair, asymmetric tooth, and a distinguished Adam’s apple that he has but to develop into. His gaze wavers as he delivers the road that’s the reason for this interview.
Translation: The Remaining Farewell
A photograph and video of Shehab clinging to the shrouded frame of his mom on a sanatorium mattress in Rafah, oblivious to the blood seeping during the shroud, closing Monday had ricocheted round social media.
He spent greater than an hour retaining her tight, now not responding to any individual, now not stirring in any respect in his deep surprise.
1000’s had been moved by way of the sight of his loss and ache, titling it The Remaining Farewell. It used to be briefly rendered as a portray and video of his determined embody set to heartbreaking song.
Shehab
Shehab’s hair is well-cut and neat, as are his garments – he used to be nicely looked after by way of his mom, Ghada.
It’s obvious that he is attempting to be “grown-up” and regulate his feelings, however that effort begins to turn instantly as he starts to inform the tale of dropping his mom.
That he’s very hooked up to her is solely as obvious, even earlier than he tells Al Jazeera what she manner to him and all of the circle of relatives.
“She used to be the whole lot to me,” he stated. “She used to be my mom and my sister and my pal. Existence with out her has no which means.
Ramadan is coming … with out my mom. Then Eid … with out my mom. No person can really feel what I’m going via.
“I’ve a proper to have a mom … a proper to reside with my mom.”
Shehab Omar Abu al-Hanud stood amid the destruction to talk to Al Jazeera in regards to the demise of his mom [Screengrab/Sanad/Al Jazeera]Ghada, he stated, used to be “an angel in human shape” who used to be at all times there to assist individuals who wanted her, content material to assist them silently with out challenging any credit score.
That this angel used to be taken from them remains to be past Shehab’s comprehension, and it’s small comfort for him to post to God’s will and remind himself that God chooses the great.
His effort to carry again his tears falters as he speaks to Al Jazeera, his hazel eyes filling and clearing as he blinks them away.
Ghada
Ghada used to be the one individual killed within the construction the place 45 other folks had been sheltering that night time.
Till in a while earlier than the assault, she were staying together with her folks in Tal as-Sultan, however she had come again to Rafah to be together with her kids and husband.
The 4 of them had been asleep in a single room, folks at the mattress and Shehab and his more youthful brother on a bed at the flooring.
Shehab had now not long gone to sleep but and used to be unsleeping and scrolling via his telephone when the primary strike took place, touchdown in the back of the home to hit the mosque there.
Everybody were given up, speeding out of the room. However his mom paused: she sought after to position on her isdal prayer gown to hide herself earlier than she left the home.
Shehab Omar Abu al-Hanud remains to be in surprise over what’s now a ‘existence with out which means’ after the demise of his mom, Ghada Youssef Ahmed Abu al-Hanud [Screengrab/Sanad/Al Jazeera]She didn’t also have sufficient time to drag the gown over her head earlier than any other strike hit and particles rained down on everybody.
It gave the impression of she had disappeared, and Shehab’s rapid of hope that she had gotten out used to be briefly dashed and so they discovered Ghada below a dresser that had fallen on best of her.
“We stored calling her identify, begging her to speak to us however she wasn’t in a position to reply. She used to be very badly injured,” Shehab stated.
His father lifted Ghada onto his shoulder to get her to the sanatorium, however they made positive to prevent on the door to hide her with the gown as she were looking to do.
The sanatorium used to be overflowing with injured other folks, however they had been after all in a position to get a stretcher to take her to the tent the place injured other folks had been being handled.
A person reacts subsequent to the our bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli moves at Abu Yousef Al-Najjar sanatorium in Rafah on February 12, 2024 [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]There, the physician in price took one have a look at her and advised them there used to be no hope and that she must be moved to the tent the place deceased other folks’s our bodies had been. Ghada used to be nonetheless respiring, however the physician had reputedly made the painful resolution to save lots of what sources the sanatorium had for somebody much more likely to live to tell the tale.
The circle of relatives fought again, protesting and pushing till the physician relented, ordered her moved again to the remedy tent and put her on intravenous fluids and oxygen. She controlled to stick alive an extra 40 mins, having a look at her circle of relatives as though she had numerous issues she needed she may just say.
Praying over her, retaining her shut and whispering in her ear, Shehab stayed together with his mom till “she left, her soul went to God’s mercy”.
Displacement
The Abu al-Hanuds used to live to tell the tale Shuhada Boulevard in Gaza Town.
The preventing had driven them to the Nuseirat refugee camp, then directly to Rafah.
First of all, once they had been in Nuseirat, they’d was hoping they may head again to Shuhada Boulevard, however the scenario remained terrifying and so they heard that everybody used to be to stay transferring south.
So, they headed to Rafah.
Shehab’s face twists when he recollects that they’d been advised that Rafah can be a secure space.
“They even hit the mosque, without a caution,” he says in his blameless anger.
