A Moment of Death

It was a beautiful day in the life of a middle class family. By sunrise a smile was drawn on the faces of all members of the family after seven days of fear and horror, killings and devastation to which their area was subjected to in Gaza Strip. The Israeli war planes filled densely the Strip’s sky. And on that day, January 4, 2009, people were deceived by the sudden prevailing quietness. They went out of their homes to the tent where they were used to sit. They started a fire to warm them, and helped their father break the firewood while their mother was preparing the dough to bake bread.

Suddenly the planes of the brutal occupation roared. With a swift and sudden strike it instantly killed the father and his three sons together with their cousin who was smiling happily to see his uncle and cousins then, there was that one hasty moment, and thus, it was called the moment of death.

That day a strong explosion was heard which shook the area, it was followed by loud voices and screaming. It was the first time we actually see an ambulance entering our borderline area of “Al Shawka”. Then we heard the news from men in our family that four members of the Abed family with his nephew Mousa were killed. It was a bad day for us. It never occurred to me before that an innocent family, who is not a party in the ongoing war, will be targeted.

The Lord gave us the young men and the Lord takes them away. He is the living, eternal and immortal.

Uncle Abed goodbye the heart and soul mourn you

Cousins my brethren the eye withered from tears

Oh Mousa we lost your light

Rafah’s light is bright despite our sons’ departure

They are our heartbeat farewell brethren

Name: Shereen al Hassi

Age: 17 years

PBBY Library

Rafah – Al Shawka

Translated by Amal H. Karam