Ritaj Abdelrahman Reyhan was 9 years old and lived with her family in Beit Lahia, north of Gaza City. After Israeli attacks destroyed their home during the massive bombardment of northern Gaza, they were forced to relocate several times.
She lived in a tent with her father, Abdelrahman, her mother, Ola, her four-year-old brother, and other relatives. Her mother, Ola, had lost her own mother, her sister, and her sister’s children during the more than two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
In October 2025, following the ceasefire, Israel placed concrete blocks to arbitrarily move “the yellow line,” a zone off-limits to Palestinians under threat of death. Ritaj returned to school in a “safe zone” 2 km from the “yellow line”.
On April 2, 2026, Ritaj went to school in destroyed buildings and tents, and while she was in math class with 40 other children, she was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper from a nearby post, falling onto her notebook in front of her classmates.
Teachers took her to Kamal Adwan Hospital; at the hospital, she was pronounced dead. This is not an isolated case; Israel has deliberately killed other children and adults during the ceasefire. More than 21,000 children have been killed since October 2023.
Her parents did not arrive in time to say goodbye to her; they received her notebook covered in blood. All her relatives, classmates, and teachers were in shock; she had gone to school, and within an hour she was dead.
Drawing by Dolores Collado
Full history to print: 056_Ritaj_alumna_english.pdf
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