Saly Abu Maamar, age 5, and her aunt, Inas Abu Maamar, age 36, lived in Khan Younis; photos of Inas embracing the shroud containing Saly’s body at Nasser Hospital in October 2023 were published by Reuters as an anonymous image of Gaza’s grief.
Saly lived with her family in southern Khan Younis; her father Ramiz, her mother, and her two siblings, 4-year-old Ahmed and her baby sister Seba; her paternal grandparents and her aunt Inas and her husband lived nearby.
SSaly spent a lot of time with her aunt Ina and her paternal grandparents, whom she visited often. In October 2023, when Israel began massive bombings and issued evacuation orders, she moved with her parents and siblings to her maternal grandparents’ home in Khan Younis, 1 km away.
On October 17, 2023, Israel bombed the building, killing Saly, his mother, his infant sister Seba, his grandparents, his uncle and aunt, and three cousins; his father, Ramiz, was injured, and his brother Ahmed survived because he was not at home. When Inas heard about the bombing, she went to Nasser Hospital to inquire about her family.
At the morgue, she found Saly’s body; she embraced him and cradled him, weeping. Mohammed Salem, a photojournalist for Reuters, moved by the sight of Inas holding Saly’s body in her arms, took some photos, which were published, showing Gaza’s grief over its murdered children. It was the World Press Photo of 2024..
Inas took care of her brother Ramiz and her nephew Ahmed, but her brother and father were killed by Israel in June 2024 while they were looking for food; Ahmed was left alone, in the care of his aunt Inas.
Drawings by Dolores Collado
Full story to print: 069_Saly_Inas_english.pdf
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