Two kids collecting firewood for their dad were fatally shot by an Israeli drone

Tamer Abu Assi was preparing breakfast for his sons early on Saturday when he noticed the firewood had run out. His children, Fadi, 8, and Jumaa, 10, went out to collect some, as their father is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. While waiting for them, neighbors rushed to his home with horrifying news: two children had been hit by an Israeli military strike.

Abu Assi asked in anguish, "Are they my children?" He later went to identify the bodies. He described the scene with trembling voice: I removed the shroud and held them. Jujus head was destroyed, his arms and parts of his torso were missing. Fadis right hand and left leg were severed.

The boys were killed in Bani Suheila, east of their home in Khan Younis, by an Israeli drone strike. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike, stating the children were suspects who crossed the yellow line, performed suspicious activities, and approached IDF troops, posing an immediate threat. They added that the strike was meant to neutralize the threat.

Bani Suheila lies in an area occupied by Israeli forces, east of the so-called "yellow line," which is difficult to identify on the ground. Since the ceasefire in October, Palestinian deaths along this line have been frequent. Israeli forces have consistently described those killed as posing immediate danger.

The deaths of Jumaa and Fadi contribute to Gazas mounting casualties during the seven weeks since the ceasefire. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported over 70,000 deaths since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel, including more than 10,000 women and 20,000 children. Recovery teams continue to retrieve bodies from rubble, with more than 600 recovered since the ceasefire began. Gazas Civil Defense estimates around 10,000 bodies remain buried under debris.

Since the ceasefire, over 350 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. A report by The Platform, a coalition of 13 Israeli human rights organizations, stated that 2025 saw unprecedented harm to Palestinian human rights in Gaza and the West Bank, describing a shift in the war where extreme violations became routine.

Just a day before the attack, Jumaa had asked his father to sing his favorite song. Abu Assi, feeling unwell, promised to do so after his medical checkup. I told him, come with me to the checkup and Ill sing all your favorite songs for you, he recalled, tears falling as he remembered his sons.

Author: Sophia Brooks