Last Child Killed Before Gaza Ceasefire Was Set to Begin
Sama al-Qudra, 6, her father and brother were fatally struck by Israeli airstrike shrapnel, moments before the ceasefire took effect.
JERUSALEM — On Sunday, January 19, Ahmed al-Qudra thought the long-awaited ceasefire had begun in Gaza as he set out with his seven children to see what remained of their home in the village of al-Qarara. It was a hopeful moment for the family, yet it would tragically mark the end of his daughter’s life.
Around 9 a.m., al-Qudra walked north through the city of Khan Younis with his children, including his 16-year-old son, Adli, and his youngest daughter, Sama, just 6 years old. What they didn’t know was that the ceasefire, initially set to start at 8:30 a.m., had been delayed due to ongoing negotiations involving Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered airstrikes to continue until the issues were resolved.
As the family approached El Bareer Street, a Palestinian police vehicle was struck by an Israeli airstrike, targeting what the military claimed were “terror targets.” However, the blast also caught the al-Qudra family in its deadly path.
Footage from the aftermath, verified by NBC News, shows Ahmed and Adli lying in the street, lifeless, while the younger children scream in distress. By the time the ceasefire officially began at 11:15 a.m., Sama had already been declared dead.
Sama was the last child to be killed in Gaza before the ceasefire, a spokesperson from Nasser Hospital confirmed. Her mother, Hanan, 31, expressed her devastation in a conversation with NBC News, explaining that the family had been filled with joy earlier that morning, eager to return to their home after months of displacement.
But the war had taken its toll. Hanan recalled how, before the conflict, their family of nine had struggled financially but still found joy together. Sama, in her innocence, often daydreamed about her future wedding and the dress she would wear. But as the war dragged on, food became scarce, and the children went to bed hungry more often than not.
“She had been asking for more than two months to eat a banana,” Hanan shared, visibly heartbroken. “I bought her a small one, and she wanted pizza. It was only a small piece for 2 shekels (about 55 cents), and I told her to eat it outside so her siblings wouldn’t see.”
The day Sama was killed was also significant, as it fell on President Joe Biden’s last full day in office. The attack occurred amid growing tensions between the Biden administration and Israel, especially over Israel's targeting of Palestinian police officers. These officers, often seen as members of Hamas, were routinely struck by Israeli airstrikes, exacerbating the chaotic conditions in Gaza.
Despite the war's heavy toll on their family, Hanan could only look at photos of her children, pausing on a picture of Sama, holding a medical mask far too large for her face during the pandemic. "She was like a rose," Hanan said softly. "May God have mercy upon her."
In the midst of her grief, Hanan, now left with only her surviving children, expressed a hope that Sama's death would not be in vain — that one day, others might remember her little girl, and the family who had been torn apart by the ongoing violence.