When an Israeli airstrike destroyed his family's home in November, Zein Oroq was trapped under the rubble. He was injured but survived, while 17 members of his family died.
But later, 13-year-old Zein would face a cruel fate in Gaza, where Palestinians suffer from severe shortages of medicine, food and water in an increasingly serious humanitarian crisis.
The population of the small enclave, where Israel and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas have been fighting for more than six months, is at risk of starvation.
Last week, during a humanitarian aid airdrop, the teenager was hit by one of the packages as he ran to get a can of broad beans, some rice or flour.
“The first time, when the house was hit, he emerged from the rubble with injuries to his head, hand and leg. God saved him,” said Zein’s grandfather, Ali Oroq.
Standing next to a large pool of wastewater, the grandfather remembered how Zein swam in a lake to get food from the airdrops and how, instead, he should have been in a school being educated.
But with mediators failing to achieve a truce, and Israel and Hamas prepared for more war in a Gaza Strip turned into a conflict-torn land, the boy's luck has come to an end.
“As the parachutes fell, a humanitarian aid box hit his head. Furthermore, the crowd rushing towards the box didn't pay attention to the boy — people were also hungry,” said Zein's father, Mahmoud.
“Then his head was cut and bruised, he had fractures to his pelvis, skull and abdomen, and with the influx of people the pressure on him increased.”
Zein was taken to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries.
“My son is so precious, he was my support, my whole life, my first joy in this world, my eldest son, may he rest in peace,” said Mahmoud.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
