Military fires two missiles at building; 12-year-old killed, and 18-year-old burned to death
The persons killed

Adam Muhammad ‘Ali al-Far’awi, 18
‘Abdallah Ashraf ‘Abdallah Judah, 12

  • 14 May 2021
  • 20:30
  • a-Sabra neighborhood, Gaza City

Testimony of Muhammad al-Far’awi, 63, a father of eight including Adam:

On Friday, 14 May 2021, at 8:30 P.M., I was at home with my family. We lived on the third floor. I was sitting in bed with my wife Sahar, and our daughter Dina, 15, was in her room. In the room next door, our son Adam was lying on his bed on the left side of the room. The rest of our kids – Dima, 17, Mahmoud, 12, and Lina, 10 – were in the living room.

Suddenly, there was a huge blast. I later realized there had been two missiles. One hit the apartment below us and started a fire that reached our apartment. Our room and Adam’s caught fire. The other hit Adam’s room directly, but didn’t explode.

My wife and I tumbled out of bed onto the floor. I got up immediately and went towards the door, trying to put out the flames. I left the room and found Adam standing in his doorway. His whole body was going up in flames. He looked like a ball of fire. His sister Dima was standing in front of him, screaming for us to help him. I started putting out the flames and wrapped him in blankets to save him. I was terrified were would be another bombing while I was trying to save him. I managed to get him to the entrance to the house, covered him and told him to rest.

A few minutes later, ambulances came and took Adam to hospital. Sahar went with him and told him everything would be okay. He told her he was in a lot of pain. I went home to check on the other kids. There were fire trucks putting out the fire in the building from the outside. I tried to put out the flames inside the apartment. Our apartment, especially Adam’s room, was in ruins. We can’t live there anymore.

Then I went out of the apartment and fainted. My neighbors and the building’s security guard came over to me, and an ambulance took me to a-Shifaa Hospital. My daughters Dina and Lina went to the neighbors’ house, and my sons Mahmoud and Dima went to the hospital to be with Sahar.

Adam had burns on 95% of his body. The doctors tried to treat him at the hospital’s trauma unit until 11:00 P.M., but they couldn’t help him. He was transferred to the ICU, and my wife and I weren’t allowed to see him. We went to stay with my wife’s aunt, who lives near the hospital.

אדם מוחמד עלי אל-פרעאווי
Adam al-Far’awi

At night, at 2:00 A.M., the hospital informed us that Adam had passed away. That was the hardest moment of my life. Parting with Adam was impossible. It never crossed my mind that my beloved son and friend, whose whole future lay ahead of him, would die. I had hoped he would work in my company and take over from me. The Israeli military destroyed that dream and crushed my hopes. His mother can’t stop crying. She keeps looking at pictures of Adam, who was her eldest son. She had hoped to see him get married, build a house and start a family. She wanted to see his children. None of that will happen. The Israeli military robbed our family of its dream.

Adam was a Taekwondo athlete and was famous in the sports community. The club he trained at was preparing him for competitions in France.  But the Israeli military also robbed us of his excellence and of his brilliance as a champion in that field. Adam’s siblings are still in shock and in a terrible mental state. They all loved him. He played with them, helped them with their studies and was a true friend. Now he’s gone forever.

Our home, our safe haven, is completely ruined. It’s unlivable. Everything is burned. Right now, we’re scattered and moving from house to house, from friend to friend. I pray to God for salvation and patience during this difficult time.

  • His father was a senior member of the Islamic Jihad.
  • Testimony given to Olfat al-Kurd on 15 June 2021
The family's home affter the attack. Photo by Olaft al-Kurd, B'Tselem
Muhammad al-Far’awi, 63, a father of eight including Adam:
Muhammad al-Fa'awi

My wife and I tumbled out of bed onto the floor. I got up immediately and went towards the door, trying to put out the flames. I left the room and found Adam standing in his doorway. His whole body was going up in flames. He looked like a ball of fire. His sister Dima was standing in front of him, screaming for us to help him.