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full screen The devastation in Khan Yunis after the attack on March 8 – when brothers Karim and Ahmed were killed – was extensive. Photo: Hatem Ali/AP/TT
Alaa al-Masri married at 17. For ten years, she and her husband struggled with infertility, underwent countless medical examinations and repeated attempts at in vitro fertilization.
Then came the miracle: the son Karim. He was an intelligent child, full of energy and filled the house of al-Masri with life. Two years later, his brother, Ahmed, called Moudi by the family, arrived – also a miracle.
“Moudi was the funniest child ever with his words and his stories,” writes his aunt in a text published on X.
On January 8, it all ended. Karim and Ahmed were killed when a shell hit the family’s house in Khan Yunis. The children they fought for for over a decade.
“16 years of marriage, completed with two children through IVF, disappeared in an instant,” writes aunt Maram al-Masri.
FACTS Half a year of war
Hamas, labeled a terrorist, attacked Israel on the morning of Saturday, October 7. Around 1,150 people are estimated to have fallen victim to the enormous terrorist attack, most of them civilians, and more than 200 people were taken hostage.
Israel responded by declaring war. They have besieged Gaza, bombed the area persistently and entered with ground forces with the stated aim of destroying Hamas.
According to Hamas-controlled authorities, more than 33,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza since the outbreak of war. Large parts of the area’s buildings have been razed to the ground and aid organizations are raising the alarm about severe famine.
According to Israel, around 100 people are still being held hostage by Hamas. In addition, several of the hostages have died during their time in captivity.
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