Gaza Herald – For more than 35 hours, six-year-old Ali remained trapped beneath the rubble of his bombarded home in northern Gaza, alone, hungry, frightened, and injured. He struggled through darkness, fear, and pain, not knowing whether he would survive or be left to an unknown fate.
When he was finally rescued, his small body bore severe injuries to his hand, shoulder, and head, and his breathing was weak and irregular. He was rushed to the Indonesian Hospital, accompanied by his aunt Hind, before being transferred to Al-Shifa Medical Complex, where he was admitted to intensive care in critical condition.
The Sole Survivor
Ali spent three days in intensive care, undergoing three complex surgeries to treat severed tendons in his hand, a dislocated shoulder, and a head injury.
The surgeries were successful, but his survival marked the beginning of a harsh new reality, one in which he would live alone without his family. When he regained consciousness, he began searching with his small eyes for familiar faces, but found no one.
He repeatedly asked: “Where are my mom and dad? Where are my siblings? Our home? My toys?” His aunt tried to calm him with temporary answers, hiding a truth too heavy for a child his age to bear. She told him they were all fine and waiting for him to recover.
The Night of Tragedy
On October 10, 2023, at around 2:00 a.m., an Israeli airstrike bombed a home adjacent to Ali’s family home in the Al-Faluja (Telecommunications) area in northern Gaza. The four-story building collapsed on its residents.
In that attack, his father, Mohammed Al-Masri, was killed, while his mother, Salam Mima (Al-Masri), 30, and his siblings Hadi (8) and Sham (3) remained trapped under the rubble.
The family could not reach them immediately due to power outages, communication cuts, and the intensity of the bombardment, which prevented rescue teams from accessing the site.
Digging with Bare Hands
Relatives, along with other family members, began digging through the rubble using basic, improvised tools. The following day, as hope began to fade, a voice was heard from beneath the debris: “I’m alive.”
It was Ali’s aunt by marriage, who was pulled out alive after more than 24 hours. Her survival renewed hope that others might still be alive, as she confirmed hearing faint sounds beneath the rubble, prompting continued efforts.
Ali Rescued
The search continued until October 12, when Ali was finally pulled out alive. A day later, on October 13, his mother and two siblings were recovered from under the rubble .. Killed.
A Life and Dreams Lost
Salam, a young journalist, was known for her energy, optimism, and big dreams for her children. She often said she hoped to see her son Hadi become a doctor.
But the airstrike ended her life, and her children’s, before she could see those dreams fulfilled.
After Ali was discharged from the hospital and the family was displaced from northern Gaza to Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on October 16, he began to notice his family’s absence.
Over time, he started connecting the events in his own way. One day, he told his friends: “Our neighbors’ home fell on ours and it became like a biscuit… I think my family died in it.”
Psychological Trauma
Ali has changed from a cheerful, social child into one suffering from severe emotional distress. He experiences intense outbursts of anger, tends toward isolation, sometimes refuses to eat, and has become deeply attached to his grandfather, following him everywhere out of fear of losing him as well.
In a painful moment, when he saw a little girl the same age as his sister Sham playing, he whispered, “She looks like Sham’s doll,” before breaking into tears that lasted for three days, refusing to speak or eat.
Ali survived, but not the tragedy. He remains a living witness to the suffering of Gaza’s children, who have lost their families, homes, and dreams in a single moment.
