Written by Humans of Gaza
14 Feb 2024
Sidra Hassouna, a resident of northern Gaza, had sought refuge with her family in the southern end of the besieged strip, temporarily declared a “safe zone” by the occupying regime.
On February 14, the regime launched a major overnight attack on Rafah that killed more than a hundred Palestinians sheltering in makeshift tents and deserted streets.
On the same fateful night, a missile struck the place where the Hassouna family had sought refuge, killing the whole family and tearing the body of their little daughter into pieces.
The lifeless body of little Sidra, who wished to become a science teacher, was identified by the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zamlot, who said the young girl was his wife’s cousin.
“This is seven-year-old Sidra, the cousin of my wife. The impact of the Israeli missile was so powerful it flung her out, leaving her mutilated body dangling from the ruins of the destroyed building in Rafah 48 hours ago,” he wrote on X, previously Twitter.
Sidra was killed with her twin sister Suzan and their 15-month-old brother Malik. Their parents and grandparents also died in the airstrike, wiping away the entire family.
“My wife’s aunt Suzan, her husband Fouzy Hassouna, two of their sons, Muhammad and Karam, Karam’s wife Amouna and her three children (7-year-old twins Sidra and Suzan, and 15-month-old Malik) were all killed,” Zamlot said.
“The family had been displaced from the north of Gaza and took shelter in Rafah. We will be relentless until those responsible [are] brought to justice.”
Expressing condolences to Zomlot, former leader of the UK’s Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn voiced his disgust at the genocide being committed by Israel.
“My dear Husam and family, I am shocked angry and appalled at your loss and the thousands more in this disgusting onslaught on the Palestinian people,” the outspoken British politician wrote.
As the news of Sidra’s death spread on social media, a wave of shock and heartbreak reverberated.
Written by Humans of Gaza