In a heartbreaking incident on Tuesday, newborn twins in Gaza were killed in an airstrike alongside their mother and grandmother, while their father, Mohammed Abu al Qumsan, was away registering their birth certificates.
Aysal and Aser, who were born just four days ago, had been living with their parents in a temporary shelter in Deir al Balah, central Gaza, after being displaced from northern Gaza. Mohammed had gone to a local government office to obtain birth certificates for the twins when tragedy struck. Upon his return, he discovered that an airstrike had decimated his temporary home, claiming the lives of his entire family.
“I don’t know what happened,” a devastated Mohammed said. “I am told it was a shell that hit the house.”
Video footage shared on social media captures the father’s anguish as he is consoled by those around him, birth certificates in hand, before collapsing in grief.
His wife, Joumana Arafa, a pharmacist, had announced the birth of their twins on Facebook after undergoing a Cesarean section. The family had relocated to the center of Gaza in response to evacuation orders during the early weeks of the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the airstrike. The conflict has seen Gaza under constant bombardment since October 7, with Israel asserting that it aims to minimize civilian casualties while accusing Hamas of launching attacks from densely populated areas. However, the army rarely provides details on specific strikes.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, the conflict has resulted in over 39,929 Palestinian deaths and 92,240 injuries, with at least 32 people killed in the last 24 hours alone.
The airstrike that claimed the lives of the twins is just one of many tragic incidents in the conflict, which has also seen a recent strike on a school compound in Gaza, reportedly killing at least 80 people.
As tensions continue to rise, hopes for a ceasefire are tenuous, with concerns that Hezbollah and Iran might launch retaliatory attacks against Israel following the assassination of two of their leaders. In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged all parties to avoid further regional confrontation.
