Every evening after Al-Maghrib prayer (dawn prayer), Om-Mahmoud used to go with her children to the house of her brother-in-law. January 5th was no exception; but on that specific day, Mahmoud insisted to wait until he performed Esha prayer (Evening prayer) first then follow them later. On his way after praying at Al-Sharqi mosque, an Israeli tank targeted him with a missile killing him instantly.

When heard the sound of the missile, Om-Mahmoud had a feeling that the target was her son Mahmoud. The mother hurried to search for her son, asked everyone in the streets, and finally went to check the lists of the dead and injured in hospitals. At Kamal Odwan hospital, the mother was told that two men and a child were transferred to Al-Shefa’a hospital in a critical state. The mother rushed to Al-Shefa’a hospital where she found her dear son in the morgue.

Magdy always accompanied his mother, regardless of where she went. Whenever anybody asked a favor of Magdy, he was always happy to help. Now, those who often went to Magdy, miss him greatly and long to see him again.

More Information:

Mahmoud was a second grade student at the preparatory school. He was a diligent student who always got 'Excellent' mark. He cared a lot about organizing his school notebooks. His mother says "although he was still too young, my dear son observed the five prayers at mosque. He had a special story with the Fajr prayer; he loved to pray it on time every day. As he was afraid that he might sleep and miss the prayer, he tied his hand with a rope, stretched his hand across the window and asked his friends to pull it on their way to the mosque…"

To know more about Mahmoud's obedience to his parents, Om-Mahmoud narrated how her little child used to kiss her hand before leaving home and upon coming back. His permanent request was to attain his mother satisfaction. If there was any misunderstanding between him and his mother, Mahmoud would never leave home before she forgave him.

“My dear three sons were so close to each other; they loved to share beds and sleep together. When the father asked them to stop playing and go to bed, they would comply at once with what their dad said. Even when we bought them new clothes or food, they always loved to share with each other"

His Dreams:

Mahmoud planned to finish his secondary school and enroll in a vocational school so as he could provide for his family and help his father. Yet, the mother wished him to continue his study and get diploma in any field, therefore he may be better than his father who worked under very tough conditions as a labor.

As his mother described him, "Mahmoud was obedient and polite. To him it was all about faith and ethics. He was the one who calmed down the whole family at the time of the Israeli strikes. He always asked us to be patient..."