He was stranded 50 miles (80 km) away in the occupied West Bank town of Jericho when 103 relatives were killed in an attack on their family home in Gaza City.
Ahmad was working on a construction site in Tel Aviv when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7. Due to the ensuing conflict and Israel’s military blockade, he was unable to return to his wife and three small girls.
Every day at the same time, he spoke with them over the phone when the connection permitted. On the evening of December 8, he was also speaking with his wife Shireen.
He said, “She knew she would die.” “She asked me to pardon her for everything.”
He celebrated his youngest daughter’s birthday last week. It was Najla’s second birthday. Ahmad continues to struggle to accept the loss.
Even though he is unable to embrace his children’s bodies or attend their hastily scheduled funerals, he continues to speak about them in the present tense, his face expressionless under streaming tears.
“My daughters are little birds to me,” he stated. It seems as though I’m dreaming. I’m still in shock at what transpired.”
