The fourth of January marked the launch of the ground invasion of the operation of “Cast Lead” on Gaza Strip. The Palestine sky seemed quite clear, yet Israeli tanks crowded the Gaza Stripe firing its ruthless cannonballs every where; hundreds of Palestinians were murdered. Driven by his curiosity, seventeen-year old Mahmoud Zahir Tanteesh, who heard the horrible sound of the bombing, went up on his roof to locate where the bombing was. The brave young mane thought he could help injured people. Unfortunately, and in a twinkling of an eye, a ruthless Israeli cannonball tore him to shreds.

Seventeen-year old Mahmoud was gone leaving behind a severe agony within the broken hearts of his grieving family; his father ‘s dreams of his son growing up, graduating from High School, and joining university, were utterly shattered. The grieving mother’s dreams of seeing her son in his wedding was crushed by the merciless Israeli cannonball.

It was a biting cold few days before his death; seventeen-year old Mahmud had no coat to wrap his body in it. Shyly, the dutiful son approached his father asking him to buy him a coat. The caring father did not say no to his precious child but the stores were closed that day. His father says: “Buying him a coat really softened the burden of my tragedy; had not I bought him that coat then, I would not have ever forgiven myself for that.”

Mahmud’s father promised his dear son to send him abroad to finish his education in any country he wishes after successfully finishing his High School. He says: “I used to encourage him to study harder and urged him not to do anything else at home except studying … I wanted him to have the highest scores.”

The dutiful son obeyed his loving father and studied really hard but still helped his family with their needs every now and then. Once Mahmud came to his grandmother with sadness written all over his face, and when she asked him about the reason behind this, he told her that he got sad when some younger kids refused to let an old man step before them in the row to buy some bread … The tender-hearted young man could not believe how rude and selfish their act was!

Young Mahmud was a very kind Youngman; he could not see a man in need without helping him out.

Over twenty days, Mahmoud used to went for Fajr prayer in the mosque at 4 in the morning, and on his way home he would buy some bread for his family who became trapped in their house due to the vicious Israeli onslaught on Gaza Strip. His broken-hearted grandmother says: “We were terrified even to use our clay oven that the Israeli jets would bomb our home smashing it over our heads … During the long and hard days of the cruel siege, my beloved grandson used to bring us bread … Alas, I am going to miss my precious grandson … May Allaah be pleased with him and admit him to Paradise.