I’m a farmer and also own a small grocery store in the al-Fukhari neighborhood in southeastern Khan Yunis, opposite the Timraz cooking gas supply station. On Wednesday, 12 May 2021, at 3:30 P.M., I was standing at the doorway to my store. My son Hamadah had come over with two of his cousins, ‘Amer al-‘Amur, 10, and ‘Alayan al-‘Amur, 11. They were going to get a haircut and stopped by so I could give Hamadah money. The barbershop is two kilometers from the store, on Salah a-Din Street. I gave him money and they left.

Two hours later, at 5:30 P.M., they came back after the haircuts. They took some instant noodles and went home. I sat down in the doorway. I looked at the sky to the east and saw two Israeli helicopters hovering next to each other, and then one turned south and the other west. Less than a minute later, the helicopter heading west fired a missile that hit Hamadah and his cousins, who were walking along the right side of the street. They were about 50 meters from the store.

I saw dust and thick smoke where the kids had been. I couldn’t see them. I went into shock and couldn’t do anything. The smoke cleared after a few minutes, and then I saw the three of them lying on the road. I ran over to them, screaming. There was no one else around. I was so confused and panicked, I ran back and forth between the kids and the store.

A few minutes later, people started arriving. Among them was my relative Hatem, 50. He lifted ‘Alayan, who was lying wounded on the ground by the Timraz station, about 20 meters from the other two boys.  Hatem put ‘Alayan in his car and drove straight to the European Hospital. He wanted to take ‘Amer and my son Hamadah with him, too, but I told him and the other people there that they were dead. Both boys were burnt in most parts of their bodies, including their faces.