After over a year of Israeli bombardment in Gaza, Talal and Samar al-Najjar faced dire conditions as a cease-fire was finally agreed upon this month. Their home lay in ruins, they were displaced with their children, and they struggled against hunger. Nonetheless, they considered themselves fortunate as their family of seven remained intact amidst the ongoing conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
However, just hours before the cease-fire was to take effect, tragedy struck. Their 20-year-old son, Amr al-Najjar, who had rushed to their village, was killed alongside two cousins in what survivors reported as an Israeli strike. The Israeli military denied any involvement in the attack.
The funeral for Amr was a modest gathering, held outside a camp of tents on the outskirts of Khan Younis, where the al-Najjar family sought refuge from the bombardment. The ongoing war, which began in October 2023 following a Hamas attack on Israel, has resulted in over 47,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gazan health authorities, who do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The night before the cease-fire, the family prepared to return to their village, Khuzaa, eager to see what remained of their home. However, unease set in as Amr left early in the morning, leaving behind his bag and expressing a premonition that he might not return.
Despite being aware of the risks involved in returning home, many Gazans rushed to protect their possessions from looters. Ahmad al-Najjar, Amr’s brother, recalled waiting at the outskirts of Khuzaa when the cease-fire was supposed to begin. Unfortunately, the cease-fire was delayed, a fact the brothers were unaware of at the time.
As fighting continued up to the scheduled cease-fire time of 8:30 a.m., Ahmad, along with others, entered Khuzaa, hoping to salvage belongings. Tragically, moments later, an explosion occurred, and Ahmad realized that his brother and cousins had been struck.
The Israeli military claimed not to have conducted a strike in the area as Gaza’s emergency services reported multiple casualties during the period between the intended and actual cease-fire times. Residents of Khuzaa reported 14 fatalities in their village alone, with those killed being young men with no connections to militant organizations.
Following the strike, relatives began searching for the missing members, with one finding Amr's lifeless body. Ms. al-Najjar remembered her son as loving and playful, lamenting the loss of a future she envisioned for him.
More than a week into the cease-fire, Talal al-Najjar struggled with the reality of his loss, reflecting on a future that would never come to be. “All I wanted was to see him fulfill his dreams,” he stated, mourning both his son and the aspirations they once shared.