Gaza Herald – In one of the most harrowing scenes since the genocide on Gaza began, Palestinian child Ward Jallal Sheikh Khalil, 6, was seen attempting to escape raging flames that engulfed “Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School” in Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
Her image, running through Israeli fire, captured on video and widely circulated, was not merely a moment of survival, but a direct, living testimony to the war’s impact on civilians in Gaza.
The night of the massacre
At dawn on Monday, May 26, Israeli airstrikes targeted the school, triggering a massive fire inside a classroom sheltering displaced families. The attack resulted in the killing of 31 civilians, including 18 children and 6 women, in addition to dozens of injuries.
Ward had been sleeping beside her family inside the classroom when the site suddenly turned into a blaze of fire and smoke. As she tried to escape, she witnessed her relatives burning in front of her eyes.
The sole survivor
Ward emerged from the fire as the only surviving witness to what her relatives described as a “massacre.” She lost six of her siblings in the strike, while her father sustained serious injuries.
Her uncle, Iyad Sheikh Khalil, described her condition as severe psychological trauma, saying:
“She becomes silent, staring blankly, then suddenly screams and calls for her mother, father, and siblings.”
He added: “Ward is only six years old, but she has lived through a nightmare no mind can endure. It is as if only her body remained with us, while her soul is left with her family.”
Loss of safety
Ward had been inseparable from her mother, who represented her only source of safety. That night, she let go of her hand moments before the explosion and was left alone to witness the tragedy.
Since then, she repeatedly says words that summarize her loss:
“My mom was martyred, my dad too, Abdel, Silwan, Mohammed, and Amal, they are all in heaven. The Israeli occupation killed them and left me alone.”
Trying to describe what happened, she points to where her brother had been lying and says:
“Mohammed was sleeping here, and the bomb hit him.”
Bodies beyond recognition
Her uncle explained that the intensity of the fire made identifying the bodies extremely difficult:
“The bodies were charred, faces erased, and fire consumed everything that signaled life.”
He added that weapons used in the strike caused extensive burning that left horrific scenes inside the school.
Despite the tragedy, he said he will take responsibility for Ward’s care:
“I will take her in with my children and raise her among us so she does not feel completely alone.”
Appeal to the world
Her uncle asked bitterly:
“Where is the world from what happened to Ward? Did her image among the flames not move them?”
He called for urgent international intervention to stop what he described as a “flood of blood,” warning against the repetition of such tragedies against other children.
