There has been shock and outrage in light of viral videos and photos of Palestinian civilians being burned alive following Israel’s deadly airstrikes in central Gaza.
The October 14 strike sent flames sweeping through a packed tent camp for the displaced at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Four people were killed and scores left with severe burns.
In particular, a video of a person being engulfed by the flames has been widely shared. He has been revealed to be Sha’ban al-Dalou, a 19-year-old software engineering student at Al-Azhar University of Gaza. He died along with his mother.
The widely circulated video showed Dalou ablaze as people screamed in anguish while struggling to extinguish the fire.
“I did not recognize my mother when I saw her, and we had difficulty identifying Sha’ban’s body, as none of his features were clear, even his clothes were completely burned, and we did not find any sign of him,” Mohammed, his brother, said.
The 15-year-old survived the fire since he was outside the tent when it was struck. “The fire completely consumed them, and nothing remained of them.”
“How can the world bear to see us killed and dying without doing anything? Where are the consciences of Arabs and Muslims? How can I continue my life without my brother and mother?”
“It [Israel] targeted my civilian family who have no solution or power and deprived us of our mother who fought hard to save us from death.”
Mohammad also survived an airstrike on a mosque that killed at least 20 civilians last week.
Like the Dalou family, dozens of Palestinians were residing in the courtyard of the hospital in Deir Al-Balah in tents housing the displaced following evacuation orders from the Israeli army in northern Gaza.
Sha’ban had built the tent he and his family were sheltering in.
Israel has repeatedly struck crowded shelters and tent camps hosing the displaced.