Sami Abu Qasem, the only survivor after the Israeli occupation forces killed his parents and sister last night in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip. Photo credit: Ousama Kahlout, a Palestinian Journalist and Humanitarian Worker.
An Israeli airstrike before dawn Wednesday destroyed a residential building in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killing 33-year-old Omar Sami Abu Qasem, his wife, Asma, and their 6-year-old daughter, Habiba. Their 3-year-old son, Sami, survived with injuries while sleeping in his mother's arms. Local health officials and witnesses described the building as a civilian residence. An Israeli military spokesperson had not commented at the time of publication.
Sami Abu Qasem is now an orphan, joining what humanitarian organizations say are tens of thousands of children in Gaza who have lost one or both parents since the war began. He was the sole survivor of his immediate family. According to reports, rescuers found him crawling from the rubble as flames engulfed what remained of his home.
To many Palestinians, Sami's story symbolizes the devastating human cost of the war. They ask what future awaits a child who has lost his entire family and question how such tragedies shape the next generation.
Who Is Sara Wilkinson?
Sara Wilkinson is a British activist and online commentator who frequently documents the humanitarian situation in Gaza. She regularly posts graphic images and videos from the conflict on her social media accounts.
Wilkinson shared a photograph of Sami after his rescue, showing him being carried by a young man, presumably a rescuer or relative. According to Times Now, she has more than 300,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) and nearly 17,000 followers on Instagram.
Her online posts often criticize British support for Israel. Wilkinson has stated that she has been arrested numerous times in connection with her activism.
Wilkinson also wrote that she "was abducted in international waters by Israeli pirates, sexually assaulted and tortured in custody, and then arrested by UK counter-terrorism police on returning home — all for trying to deliver baby milk and medical supplies to Gaza."
Media Coverage of Israeli and Palestinian Deaths
Supporters of the Palestinian cause have long argued that Western media disproportionately cover Israeli casualties compared with Palestinian casualties. According to If Americans Knew, several studies have found that Israeli deaths receive significantly more media attention than Palestinian deaths.
Critics argue that this imbalance contributes to limited international outrage following incidents such as the destruction of Sami Abu Qasem's family.
It is also difficult, they argue, to justify the amount of news coverage devoted to Israel solely on the basis of its size or strategic importance. As the Jewish Virtual Library observes, "Israel probably has the highest per capita fame quotient in the world. Americans know more about Israeli politics than that of any other foreign country."
For that reason, this writer continues to publish several articles each week in an effort to raise public awareness of the Israeli Palestinian conflict throughout the English-speaking world.
https://x.com/arabnews/status/2077379378284212432?s=20
Remember that 3-year-old Sami woke up without a mother, father, or sister. He was the only surviving member of his immediate family. According to the author's perspective, the bomb that destroyed his home was manufactured in the United States and funded by American taxpayers.
The Victims
- Omar Sami Ahmed Abu Qasem, 33
- Asmaa Ghazi Abu Qasem
- abiba Omar Sami Abu Qasem, 6
May God Almighty deprive the Israeli soldiers and their leaders of ever having children or grandchildren.
Additional photo captions: 1. Habiba Abu Qasem, a six-year-old girl who was martyred alongside her parents at dawn today when their home was bombed in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. Phot credit: X
Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and a retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes about U.S. foreign policy, Middle East affairs, and justice.
