GAZA CITY, Jan 25 (Bernama-AA) – “If I die, forgive me, Mom, Dad,” wrote 10-year-old Palestinian Azmi Abu Al-Shaar on his phone before being killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his family’s home during the 15-month-long genocide on Gaza.
His family recently discovered the note on his phone, revealing a poignant message shaped by the grim realities of war, including death, destruction, and the loss of loved ones, Anadolu Agency reported.
Written on March 19, 2024, the note reflects a child’s awareness of his mortality amid the destruction of homes and the killing of women and children.
“Peace be upon you. If I die, forgive me, Mom, Dad, and my siblings Naeema, Shahed, Maryam, and Mahmoud. Mom and Dad, I am deeply sorry if I ever upset you. I feel like I don’t have much time left,” the message, widely shared on social media, read.
Azmi continued: “Mom, please take care of Mahmoud. Naeema, I’m sorry for bothering you. Shahed, Maryam, Mahmoud—I’m sorry to you all. I swear I love you all, and Grandma, Grandpa, my uncles, and everyone. I hope they forgive me.”
The Israeli genocide in Gaza claimed the lives of more than 17,800 children, according to the latest statistics from the government media office in Gaza.
During the war, many children wrote their names on their arms and bodies to help rescuers identify them in case they were killed or dismembered in the Israeli killing machine, a tragic reflection of the horrors endured by Gaza's youngest residents.
A Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect on Jan 19 and suspended Israel’s genocidal war that has killed nearly 47,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 111,500 since Oct. 7, 2023.
The three-phase agreement includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, and its residents displaced, hungry, and prone to disease.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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