DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – In the stark environment of Gaza's Shifa Hospital morgue, Yusuf Zawara confronts the heartbreaking reality of his son’s death. Fifteen-year-old Mohammad lies motionless, blood-stained and lifeless, a casualty of Israeli military action in the conflicted region. Yet, the father remains in denial, gently wiping his son’s face and insisting, “He’s sleeping. He’ll wake up now. There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s fine.”
The devastation surrounding this tragedy is compounded by the harsh winter conditions enveloping Gaza. Since the onset of hostilities earlier this month, the territory has suffered a complete cutoff of central electricity, forcing its residents to seek refuge in makeshift shelters, tents, or damaged structures vulnerable to the elements.
According to the local health authorities, Mohammad and his 13-year-old cousin were killed when an Israeli strike targeted them as they collected firewood. The incident occurred approximately 500 meters from the so-called Yellow Line — the demarcation between Israeli-controlled zones and the rest of Gaza – an area officially designated by Israel as safe for Palestinians.
A relative, Arafat al-Zawara, emphatically stated that the two boys were the victims of a direct strike, not collateral damage due to any mistake or wrongdoing on their part.
Israel’s military has contested the characterization of the victims as children, asserting that its recent operations targeted militants planting explosives after crossing the Yellow Line. The military claims these actions aimed to protect soldiers from threats posed by explosives planted in the territory.
Inside the hospital, Yusuf’s grief is deeply visceral. He strokes his son’s face, attempts to rouse him, and harshly questions why Mohammad had not escaped from the missile attack. He expresses frustration and disbelief, questioning, “Why didn’t you run away?” After this burst of anguish, he bends over his son, resting his cheek against his lifeless face, clinging to the last moments of physical connection.
Turning to the boy’s cousin, Yusuf shook the 13-year-old’s body in a desperate plea: “Sulaiman, get up so we can get some wings and grill them! Get up, get up, my nephew! Come on, get up, why are you dying?!”
The health ministry of Gaza, operating under the Hamas-led government, reports that over 480 Palestinians have lost their lives to Israeli fire since the ceasefire commenced on October 10. This figure underscores the ongoing toll of a conflict sparked by a Hamas-led offensive against Israel on October 7, 2023. While Israel disputes these casualty numbers, it has not provided its own alternative data.
Adding to the crisis, authorities report at least nine children have succumbed to exposure to the severe cold in recent weeks, as temperatures fall below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at night amidst Mediterranean storms. The lack of electricity and damaged infrastructure exacerbate vulnerabilities among the civilian population during this harsh transitional season.