Military fires missile at building, killing two sixth-floor occupants
Testimonies of Mu’az Subuh and Baraa Subuh
Izzat Mu’in Muhammad al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 44
Du’aa ‘Omar ‘Abdallah al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 35
Zeid ‘Izzat Mu’in al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 8
Adam ‘Izzat Mu’in al-Kolak (al-Qolaq) 3
Muhammad Mu’in Muhammad al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 41
Hala Muhammad Mu’in al al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 12
Yara Muhammad Mu’in al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 9
Rula Muhammad Mu’in al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 6
Amin Muhammad Hamad al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 90
Sa’diyah Yusef Taher al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 84
Khitam Salim al-Kolak, 47
Fawaz Amin Muhammad al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 62
Riham Fawaz Amin al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 32
Sameh Fawaz Amin al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 28
His wife: Ayat Ibrahim Khalil al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 19
Their son: Qusai Sameh Fawaz al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 5 months
‘Abd al-Hamid Fawaz Amin al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 22
Bahaa Amin Muhammad al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 48
Amal Jamil Salamah al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 42
Her children: Taher Shukri Amin al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 23
Ahmad Shukri Amin al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 15
Hanaa Shukri Amin al-Kolak (al-Qolaq), 14
Dana Riyad Hassan Ishkuntana, 9
Yihya Riyad Hassan Ishkuntana, 5
Lana Riyad Hassan Ishkuntana, 4
Zein Riyad Hassan Ishkuntana, 2
Dima Rami Riyad al-Ifrangi, 15
Yazan Rami Riyad al-Ifrangi, 13
Mira Rami Riyad al-Ifrangi, 11
Amir Rami Riyad al-Ifrangi, 9
Tawfiq Isma’il Hussein Abu al-‘Oaf, 79
Majdiyeh Khalil Hussein Abu al-‘Oaf, 82
Ayman Tawfiq Isma’il Abu al-‘Oaf, 49
Rim Ahmad Khalil Abu al-‘Oaf, 40
Tawfiq Ayman Tawfiq Abu al-‘Oaf, 17
Tala Ayman Tawfiq Abu al-‘Oaf, 13
Died of her wounds on 3 June 2021.
Rawan ‘Alaa Subhi Abu al-‘Oaf, 19
Shaimaa ‘Alaa Subhi Abu al-‘Oaf, 21
Subheyeh Isma’il Abu al-‘Oaf, 73
A tenant in the building
Owner of a shop in the building
I lived with my mother, my wife Rajaa Abu al-‘Oaf and our four children in the a-Safa building in the a-Rimal neighborhood, on a-Thurah Street, which is parallel to al-Wehdah Street. Our building was 60 meters away from the Abu al-‘Oaf building. After the war broke out on 10 May 2021, I stayed with my wife and our kids, Dima, Yazan, Mira and Amir, in the apartment. We followed the news all the time. We heard airstrikes all over Gaza City. My wife and kids were scared of the bombings, and we kept the kids busy so they wouldn’t hear the explosions and the sound of the drones hovering over us all the time.
On Saturday, 15 May 2021, at around 4:30 P.M., my wife went with our four children to visit her family on al-Wehdah Street and bake holiday cookies. They planned to sleep there and come back the next day, just for a change of scenery in the middle of the war and the bombings.
At around 11:00 P.M., I went to bed. My mother also went to her room. Suddenly, I woke up in a panic to a series of loud explosions very close to us. The power went out. I checked the time. It was 1:00 A.M. A cousin on my father’s side called to ask if we were okay. He lives near me and thought the explosions were in my building. I told him I’d woke up in fright from the sound of the explosions. I looked out the window to see where the strike had been. Just then, my cousin ‘Imad ‘Ali Hassan called and told me that it was the Abu al-‘Oaf building. When I heard that, I was shocked. I was very scared.
I immediately ran over to the Abu al-‘Oaf building, where my wife and four kids were. I got there in less than a minute. I saw a shocking, unbearable sight. The building and the street were totally destroyed. I stood there in total shock. I also saw Amin and Mu’in al-Kolak’s buildings in ruins. People were screaming and crying, running from place to place, some looking for siblings and relatives.
Ambulances and Civil Defense crews arrived. Everyone was searching for people, trying to save them. I wanted to save my wife and kids. I saw one girl taken out and I was sure it was my daughter Dima. I later found out it was Shaimaa Abu al-‘Oaf, who had also been killed. More people were extracted, some dead and others wounded. I also saw them remove bits of bodies. I saw them extract Dr. Ayman Abu al-‘Oaf and his wife Rim. They also extracted his mother Majdiyeh and Diana, ‘Alaa Abu al-‘Oaf’s wife, who was wounded.
Then they brought out my wife Rajaa’s body. They also got out my two sons, who had been sleeping side by side. Their faces were blue, which means they died of suffocation. At first I was sure they were still alive, but the Civil Defense crew told me that no one in my family had made it and they were all dead. I was in shock. My whole family was killed. I have no one left in this world.
They continued getting people out. They removed ‘Omar Abu al-‘Oaf, who was wounded, and Hazem, who rented an apartment in the building. The body of Muhammad, who owned a mobile phone shop he was renting from Bahaa Abu al-‘Oaf, was also recovered. They were all taken to a-Shifaa Hospital.
On Sunday, we buried my wife and kids at the cemetery. I went back to my apartment in shock. I couldn’t believe what had happened. I couldn’t believe I was going home without my wife and kids. The apartment is sad, empty, abandoned, and has no signs of life. They were bombed by Israeli airplanes while they were asleep at their grandfather’s house. Everything is ruined for me forever. They killed my wife. She had a master’s degree and worked with international projects in the Gaza Strip. My children were outstanding students and knew English and French. Especially my daughter Dima, who drew, danced and took part in festivals. My wife and I raised our children for 16 years. Their lives were wiped out in an instant.
Rajaa’s body. They also got out my two sons, who had been sleeping side by side. Their faces were blue, which means they died of suffocation. At first I was sure they were still alive, but the Civil Defense crew told me that no one in my family had made it and they were all dead.
Testimonies of Mu’az Subuh and Baraa Subuh
Testimony of ‘Abd al-Karim Barakah
Testimony of Ziad Hiles
Testimony of ‘Imad Jneid
Testimony of Sa’id Abu ‘Aasi
Testimony of Muhammad al-Hittu and Mu’awiyah al-Wahidi
Testimony of Ibrahim Abu Sa’adah
Testimony of ‘Atiyyah al-‘Amur
Testimony of Ibrahim Abu Sakran
Testimony of Muhammad al-Khatib
Testimonies of Naser Abu Fares and Isma’il ‘Ayash
Testimony of ‘Iz a-Din a-Rantisi
Testimony of Muna Aman and Yusef Aman
Testimonies of Taher al-Madhun and Hatem a-Tanani
Testimonies of Muhammad al-‘Attar and Manar al-‘Attar
Testimony of Ahmad Khaled
Testimony of Muhammad al-Far’awi
Testimony of Ibrahim Salamah
Testimonies of Mahmoud al-‘Ar’ir and Lubna Bhar
Testimony of ‘Azzam al-Kolak
Testimony of Riyad Ishkuntana
Testimony of Rami al-Ifrangi
Testimony of Buthaynah Na’im al-Qumo’
Testimony of Amal al-Masalhah
Testimony of Muhammad Abu Dayer
Testimonies of Sa’ed, Sa’id, and Dunia ‘Asaliyah