Mahmoud Omar Yassin Al Mahdoum lived with his family in Beit Lahia, in the northwest of the Gaza Strip; he owned a store, which was destroyed by Israeli bombings. Despite evacuation orders, he decided to stay in the north with his family and help his neighbors.
Mahmoud was married to Alaa, and they were the parents of seven children, the oldest 15 years old and the youngest two weeks old. As a result of Israel’s bombings and ground offensive, Mahmoud lost 150 members of his family.
In December 2023, Mahmoud was arrested by the IOF at his home, along with three other men from his family. The IOF released photos of the detainees, naked, blindfolded, and handcuffed. His brother Hani, in Virginia, U.S., recognized him in the photos; in interviews with the Washington Post, he stated that Mahmoud was a civilian.
Mahmoud was released in January 2024. He and Hani, from the U.S., raised funds for the Gaza Soup Kitchen, in collaboration with UNRWA. Mahmoud bought fresh vegetables and cooked a meal daily for his neighbors; they started with 120 families a day, which grew to 3,000 people by April 2024.
Mahmoud’s family—his parents, sisters, and children—along with friends and neighbors, helped prepare and distribute the food daily. They opened a school, with a sign on the roof in English and Hebrew reading “School: Please Do Not Bomb,” but it was bombed.
On November 30, 2024, Mahmoud, along with other volunteers, was on his way to deliver food to Kamal Adwan Hospital when they were deliberately killed by an Israeli drone. They are among the 333 humanitarian workers killed by Israel.
Drawings by Dolores Collado
Full history to print: 068_Mahmoud_english.pdf
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