Latest news with #Fahmial-JarjawiSchool
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Calling it what it is
"When someone comes out of an attack like this, in a war like this, what do you expect a kid to feel?" Eyad al-Sheikh Khalil said to Al Jazeera, after his six-year-old niece emerged from the flames of a school fire, seemingly unscathed yet mentally charred, knowing that the rest of her family wasn't so fortunate. A video circulated online recently, capturing Ward Sheikh Khalil's silhouette as she escaped the inferno after the attack on the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City. Her father and brother also survived the aerial attack, though both are hospitalised. But the air strike launched by Israel killed her mother, two of her siblings, and 33 other people as they were seeking refuge in the school. "I walked in the fire so I could escape. I was in the fire, and the ceiling fell on me. The ceiling fully collapsed. The fire was blazing," a distressed Ward recalled, as she flashed her burn injuries to the camera. Sobbing in memory of the deceased, she said, "They were martyred. May God forgive them." Across the world, the little girl's prayer was elevated by Pakistani actor Sarwat Gilani, who penned her own heartfelt prayer for the people of Palestine on Instagram Tuesday. "O Allah of mercy, hear our cry from the depths of sorrow. In the shattered streets and broken homes, where children weep and mothers mourn, let your presence be a balm to the wounded," Sarwat began. Sarwat prayed for the innocent to find shelter, for the hungry to be fed, and for the broken to be healed in body and spirit. Praying for the guidance of those in power, she continued, "Let the cries of the oppressed rise to heaven and stir the hearts of those with power to choose peace over war, justice over vengeance, and compassion over cruelty." In her prayer, the Mann Pyasa actor envisioned a world where hands would rebuild homes instead of weapons, where despair would turn to hope, and mourning would transform into the courage to rebuild a devastated homeland. "Grant strength to the peacemakers, wisdom to the leaders, and comfort to the grieving. Let no more blood be spilled. Let no more lives be lost. Let Gaza live. Ameen," she said, punctuating her caption with the ever-resonating hashtag #FreePalestine. Echoes around the world Sarwat is just one of the many Pakistani artists who have spoken out in inexhaustible favour of Palestine. Recently, playback singer Shuja Haider condemned the genocide in Gaza on social media. He wrote, "What's unfolding in Gaza is a devastation of our collective humanity. The unimaginable suffering of those innocent lives is a harsh reminder that the loss of innocent lives can never be justified. Humanity knows no bounds of religion or country. May justice be served to those accountable and may peace ultimately prevail." Meanwhile, author Fatima Bhutto's Instagram feed packs information about Israel's atrocities towards Palestine and its people. "Every day they commit more and more obscene crimes. Speak out now," she urged in a new thread post, which contained news about reinforced starvation in Gaza, the United States' funding of the Israeli military, forceful imprisonment of Dr Hussam Abu Sufiya among other health workers detained by Israel, and more. But that's not all. From Imagine Dragons waving the Palestinian flag at the end of their concert in a clip shared by Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza to Saint Levant quoting Nelson Mandela on Instagram Stories to declare that "no one is free until Palestine is free," the cause resonates with artists all over the globe. In a statement shared by charity Choose Love, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan - another avid supporter of the Palestinian cause - announced that she was donating her Peace Lily gown to raise funds for Gaza. "It was an honour to wear this custom gown from the inimitable Robert Wun. The message behind it is a rallying call for peace. I'm delighted to donate this gown to the prize draw to support Choose Love's work in Gaza." Sealed in writing Writers have also been playing a part in protesting against Israel by signing a joint letter in favour of the ceasefire. As per The Guardian, three hundred and eighty writers and organisations including Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Elif Shafak, Russell T Davies, and Hanif Kureishi banded together to put a firm name to Israel's war crimes. "The use of the words 'genocide' or 'acts of genocide' to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organisations," stated the letter. Organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations human rights council condemned the brutality of the Israeli Defense Forces in the letter, adding that the public statements of Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir "openly express genocidal intentions". The letter further urged the UN to provide immediate unrestricted distribution of food and medical services to the people of Gaza and pushed for a ceasefire to guarantee "safety and justice for all Palestinians, the release of all Israeli hostages, and the release of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners arbitrarily held in Israeli jails". The signatories hoped for sanctions to be imposed should Israel not comply with the demands put forth. The letter stressed that Palestinians "are not the abstract victims of an abstract war. Too often, words have been used to justify the unjustifiable, deny the undeniable, defend the indefensible. Too often, too, the right words — the ones that mattered — have been eradicated, along with those who might have written them." The signatories also voiced their refusal to approve of those standing by as the brutality prolongs. "This is not only about our common humanity and all human rights; this is about our moral fitness as the writers of our time, which diminishes with every day we refuse to speak out and denounce this crime." It concluded on a firm note: "This genocide implicates us all. We bear witness to the crimes of genocide, and we refuse to approve them by our silence."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Silhouetted by fire, 6-year-old girl survives Israeli attack in Gaza
Ward Khalil stares at the camera, her eyes barely focusing as she recalls the horrors of what she experienced. 'When I woke up, I found a huge fire, and I saw my mom was dead,' she says, recounting the Israeli air attack early on Monday that she survived but that killed her mother, two of her siblings and 33 other people. Video footage of six-year-old Ward, her small body silhouetted against the flames after the attack on the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City, has shocked people around the world, highlighting the ferocity of Israel's attacks on Gaza. Ward's father and a brother also survived the attack, but they both remain in hospital. The school had been sheltering several families, including many children, when it was targeted by Israeli fire. 'I walked in the fire so I could escape. … I was in the fire, and the ceiling fell on me. The ceiling all collapsed. The fire was blazing,' Ward recounted, the distress clear in her voice. 'See? My arm is burned here,' she said, showing the camera the injuries. Ward sobbed as she explained what happened to her family: 'They were martyred. May God forgive them.' Footage taken from the school after the attack shows blood-stained walls and charred mattresses lying on the floor as rescue workers and distraught relatives search the rubble and burned clothing for signs of survivors. Eyad al-Sheikh Khalil, Ward's uncle, rushed to the school after seeing a picture of her online. 'I was looking at the pictures journalists were posting, and I saw a photo of Ward with the Civil Defence and realised it was my niece,' he said of the images of Ward being comforted by rescue workers near the school, the bright bows in her hair dulled by the ash from the fire. 'When someone comes out of an attack like this, in a war like this, what do you expect a kid to feel?' Eyad asked. 'Of course she's going to suffer mentally. We're all suffering mentally.' 'It was indescribable,' a survivor who was pulled from the rubble with her son told rescuers. 'Body parts, charred bodies, the smell of burning. I swear to God, our hearts have died. We're shaken, exhausted. Enough.'Displaced people in Gaza have been crowding into schools, many of which are affiliated with the United Nations, since the onset of Israel's war on the enclave in October 2023. On May 7, Israeli forces targeted a single school sheltering 2,000 Palestinians twice on the same day, killing at least 29 civilians in the Bureij refugee camp, including women and children. According to UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees, nearly three-quarters of all school buildings in Gaza have been directly hit by Israeli fire since October 2023. According to UN satellite-based assessments, 95 per cent of Gaza's schools have sustained damage, rendering the vast majority unusable. UN-run shelters are now 'overwhelmed with displaced people desperately seeking safety', UNRWA said in an update after the attack on the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School. It also stressed that the lack of food in Gaza due to a three-month siege imposed upon the territory by Israel had added to people's suffering. 'Many families are sheltering in abandoned, unfinished, or damaged buildings,' the agency explained. 'Sanitation conditions are dire; in some cases, hundreds of people are having to share a single toilet. Others, including children and pregnant women, are sleeping in the open.'
Al Manar
5 days ago
- Health
- Al Manar
599 Days of Devastation: Israeli Airstrikes Intensify in Gaza
As the Israeli war on Gaza enters its 599th day, Israeli occupation forces have ramped up their military campaign, launching dozens of airstrikes across the densely populated enclave. The resurgence of hostilities—71 days after a broken ceasefire—has drawn condemnation from rights groups, while the international community remains largely paralyzed in its response. Heavy Israeli air strikes on Tal Alzatar, north of Gaza. — Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) May 27, 2025 According to local sources and medical officials, at least 82 Palestinians were martyred in airstrikes on Monday alone, including over 30 people who perished when warplanes targeted the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City's Al-Daraj neighborhood. Multiple strikes were reported throughout the Gaza Strip, with significant casualties in Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Khan Yunis. Among the dead were children Mustafa Wael Ali and Olina Nizar Bakroun, and physician Ihab Naim Dhamida, all victims of aerial bombardments in residential neighborhoods. Israeli warplanes carry out an air strike in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza. — Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) May 27, 2025 The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued alarming findings: 95% of Gaza's agricultural land is now deemed unfit for cultivation. With Israel's blockade restricting food aid since early March, humanitarian agencies warn that famine is tightening its grip on the region's 2.3 million residents. Israeli artillery also shelled eastern Gaza City and the town of Al-Qarara, compounding fears among civilians who say nowhere feels safe. Residents continue to suffer without basic necessities, while hospitals struggle under the weight of mounting injuries and shortages of medicine. 'Israel' resumed its aggression on Gaza on March 18, after violating the ceasefire agreement. Its airstrikes since then have killed more than 3,800 people and injured nearly 11,000, according to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.
Saba Yemen
5 days ago
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Government Media Office in Gaza: Brutal Zionist massacre in which 31 civilians killed
Gaza – Saba: The Government Media Office in Gaza confirmed that the Zionist enemy army committed a brutal massacre at the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in the al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, which houses thousands of displaced people. The office stated in a statement that the horrific massacre resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians, including 18 children and 6 women, in addition to dozens of others being injured with varying degrees of severity. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- General
- Middle East Eye
'Flesh everywhere': Israeli bombing of Gaza shelter leaves children charred
It was midnight when Israeli warplanes bombed the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City, setting it ablaze. Families who had sought refuge in the school after being displaced were instead engulfed by fire in the early hours of Monday, desperately trying to reach loved ones trapped in the flames. "The aftermath of the Israeli strike revealed the charred remains of more than 30 Palestinians, 18 of them children and six women. Alaa Talal Abu Odah told Middle East Eye that most of those residing in the school, located in the al-Daraj neighbourhood, were asleep at the time of the strikes. 'Those who were awake and moving through the hallways were either burned or thrown by the blast,' recalled the 37-year-old witness, adding that the school-turned-shelter was struck by at least three missiles. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Entire families were wiped out. The classrooms were filled with children and women, people who had fled from Shujaiyya and Beit Hanoun. They came here seeking safety, crowded together, only to be reduced to charred corpses. 'Those still alive clung to the classroom windows, screaming 'Save us, help us!' after catching fire. We couldn't break down the walls to rescue them. My brothers began filling buckets of water and pouring them onto the flames.' According to Odah, the medical response was incredibly slow, with rescue crews arriving an hour after the bombings. 'The children who were asleep… they slept forever' - Alaa Talal Abu Odah, eyewitness "Whoever had burned, had burned. The children who were asleep… they slept forever. They went to sleep hungry, with nothing to eat," she grieved. Holding a black bag in one hand, Mohammad Shaker al-Masri was picking up the remains of victims strewn around in the wreckage. "I gathered these body parts from beneath the rubble, and there are still many remains left. My cousin was killed, and we still haven't been able to retrieve his [body]; all we're pulling out are small fragments," he told MEE. "We haven't found him, we only managed to retrieve his leg and these chunks of flesh, but the rest of his body is still missing." The 21-year-old was in a tent while his aunt's family lived in a classroom within the school. Mohammad Shaker al-Masri, 21, pictured holding a black bag containing the remains of victims following an Israeli attack on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, on 26 May 2023 (Maha Hussaini/MEE) He explained that the missiles' impact sealed the doors to the classroom where his relatives stayed. "They couldn't escape and were burned to death... Everything went black and pitch dark. We were asleep and only woke up to find the fire around us and the rubble above us. "Flesh and body parts were everywhere," Masri said, noting that several family members, including his cousin's children, were killed in the attack. "Most of the rest are now in the hospital." Targeting displaced individuals Reeling from her own loss during the strikes, Odah said that the attack came without any prior warning or evacuation order. "The strike came as a betrayal," he said. "The young men who were awake in the corridors were torn to pieces, killed, including my cousin. "Why are they bombing the shelters, knowing full well that they'll kill the largest number possible? This is a premeditated crime, and the world remains silent." Noura Hamdi al-Masri was one of those who had fled Beit Hanoun, following the Israeli army's displacement orders. The 19-year-old, alongside her family, had remained in the school for the past three months, seeking shelter from escalating Israeli attacks. However, she would be far from safe, as she found herself trapped underneath the rubble and remains of the school. "It was a terrifying feeling, the debris were on top of us, and there was fire all around, and we couldn't save ourselves," she recalled. Massacres amid truce talks Noura told MEE that half the people in the school lay awake in the late hours of the night as they listened to "hopeful news about a truce and negotiations". "Then suddenly, missiles started falling on the classrooms, and we lost our families and our children. Half were killed, the other half were injured," she said. Israel killed my family and destroyed my home. The world just kept scrolling Read More » Since the war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023, Israeli forces have killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health and government officials. Expanding military attacks in recent weeks have only furthered the humanitarian crisis in the already vulnerable, besieged enclave. Odah expressed a sense of hopelessness amongst the population amid continuing ceasefire negotiations. "We've stopped being optimistic. Whenever you hear that there are negotiations, [we] just know that massacres are coming. "Ever since we heard yesterday about efforts to resume negotiations, the bombing hasn't stopped, it's everywhere. You don't know where it's coming from. This is annihilation, this is truly genocide."
