‘I saw my brother burning’: Family of Palestinian burned alive in Israeli airstrike recalls ‘horrific’ scene – News

When Israel struck Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza, in the early hours of Monday, videos of the attack and shooting were widely shared on social media.

Footage of the aftermath shows Shaban Al Dalou, who would have turned 20 on Wednesday, lying on his back amid burning debris and waving his arms as flames raged all around him.

Shaban’s family, seen burned to death in footage broadcast around the world, spoke of their indescribable feelings as flames engulfed the camp. The 19-year-old Palestinian shared videos and photos on social media, documenting life in the war-torn Gaza Strip, in the hope that his family could one day escape.

The striking images of the incident resonated strongly at a time when Israel faces concerns from its allies over its conduct of the war in Gaza. The US State Department described the incident as “horrific”.

Three other people died, including Dalou’s mother, Ala’a Abdel Nasser al-Dalou, 37.

“I can’t describe this feeling. I saw my brother burning in front of me and my mother too,” said Mohammed, the younger brother of Dalou, 17, who said he ran out of the tent when he heard the explosion.

The initial scene was filmed by several witnesses in a video that was posted online and appeared in news reports around the world. Reuters was able to verify the time and location of two of the videos of the incident by matching structures, debris and benches.

A journalist hired by Reuters, who arrived on the scene later, filmed a rescuer lifting Dalou’s charred body, wrapped in a blanket.

Israel claimed that the attack targeted a Hamas command and control center at the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in Deir al-Balah, and that it was investigating the cause of the fire, but believed that It was probably due to a secondary explosion.

Israeli officials did not say what might have caused a secondary explosion that ignited the tents.

The Israeli army claimed to have “carried out a precise strike against terrorists who were operating inside a command and control center in the area of ​​a parking lot” next to the hospital.

“The IDF takes numerous measures to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence,” the Israeli military said.

In one of the videos reviewed by Reuters, a series of more than 20 small bangs were audible amid the fire, along with two small explosions that sent showers of sparks. A hospital doctor told Reuters the explosions were caused by exploding cooking gas canisters, which Reuters could not immediately confirm independently.

People on fire