Palestinian Holocaust Museum
 

The Name of the Victim: Ayah `Ezz Al-Din Abu Al-`Ish

Age: 13 years old.
Gender: Female.
The Date of Injury or Death: 16/1/2009
The Place of Injury or Death: Inside her house in Salah Al-Din Street, north Jabalia, east of Gaza Strip.
The Cause of Injury or Death: Random bombing by missiles and tank shells.
The Story of Martyrdom:

On Friday, the 16th of January, it was the fourth monthly memory of the mother’s departure after a long sickness that led to her death. However, it was also the first memory for the departure of Ayah, Mayar, and Baysan `Ezz Al-Din Abu Al-`Aysh, in addition to their cousin Nour Shihab Al-Din Abu Al-`Aysh. The scene was described through sad words on the tongues of the survivors (Rufah, Muhammad, and `Abdullah).

Ayah was in her room, as usual, studying her lessons and reading whatever she wanted of useful books in order to expand her knowledge because she was of wide knowledge. Mayar sat beside her on the computer, whereas the rest of the girls chatted about the war and their childhood. Outside, the father was playing with his two children: Muhammad and `Abdullah, perhaps playing could ease the pain of losing their mothers. He has just run out of the girls’ room after he had checked on their conditions. As soon as he had left the room, he heard the sound of a loud explosion, the columns of smoke were high, and he lost his sight. He could not see anything, but heard a voice from far distance; it was the voice of Baysan who ran to the source of the explosion and to her surprise, it was in the girls’ room. Before her sight, she saw her sister Ayah taking her last breaths. Baysan shouted "Papa, Ayah!" but another heavy shell caused Baysan to lose her life and fall martyr along with Ayah, Nour, and Mayar, whereas Ghayda’ and the Uncle were hit with another shell.

The father said with continuous tears that he was keen not to let his family sleep in one room. He added, "We used to sleep on the ground for fear of missiles, so I used to put each two daughters behind one wall, but the shell killed their childhood in daylight. May Allah provide us with patience!"

After the departure of her mother, Ayah contained her younger siblings (Rufah, Muhammad, and `Abdullah). She took care of them and gave them from her kind heart. As soon as she came from school, she took the role of a mother. She started to clean and tidy the house then went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for her young siblings. She took care of them until they finish their school homework then she would help them in studying their lessons and encourage them to be distinct in order to make her mother happy in her grave. Rufah said with her eyes filled with tears: "Ayah used to love me so much and I loved her also because she was kind and good. She used to help my in studying my lessons and when I made a mistake, she would rebuke me but later on she would hug me and encourage me to be more attentive in order to be excellent in study."

Not only Ayah took care of her young siblings, but also she care with everyone and busied herself with the worries of everybody. In all occasions, she used to run for helping families in regard of the housework and tidying of the house. Her sister Rufah said about her: "Nobody could surpass her in morals and manners and likewise was the case in study and learning. She was the sweetheart of the family."

Ayah, the thirteen-years-old girl was nicknamed by her uncle's wife, Um Jihad, by "The young scholar" because of her passion for science and research in various areas such as historical, cultural and purely scientific. She used to compete with her sisters in the first class student in Palestine at high school. She wished to send the news of Palestine to the whole world, after she finish her press study and practice the profession of searching for the trouble, but the news of her death preceded all other news. She was killed by shells that uprooted her dream and her innocence.

 
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