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More than a year following his abduction by Israeli forces, Alaa Abu Zeid’s primary desire upon returning to Gaza was to embrace his wife and children. However, upon his arrival in Khan Younis earlier this month, he discovered that only his brother, Ali, awaited him: Alaa’s wife, Hala, and their five children had tragically lost their lives during an Israeli airstrike last summer.
The 48-year-old Alaa, who served as the headteacher of a UN-funded primary school in Bureij, was taken captive along with many others during a raid on the shelter in December 2023. The heart-wrenching reality is that he would never reunite with his family.
“We had no clue about his whereabouts; it was terrifying to think of his safety,” Ali recounted, speaking on Alaa’s behalf since the UN employee is prohibited from engaging with the media.
“The wait was agonizing. We experienced joy mixed with profound sadness. I struggled to find the right moment to tell him about the deaths of his wife and children.”
Tragically, Alaa’s family—Hala, who was 49 and worked as a teacher; Nour, 25, an engineer; Alaa, 22, a dentistry student; Riyad, 20, pursuing a science degree; Walaa, 15; and Mohammed, 13—were all killed in an airstrike that struck their home in Bureij early on 20 August, just eight months after Alaa’s abduction.
Ali and his sons attempted to dig through the debris to save their family members, but were met with the devastating reality of lifeless bodies. As dawn broke, they managed to collect more remains, and, adhering to Muslim traditions, held a swift burial the same day.
This tragic narrative resonates across Gaza, where the local health ministry reports that around 1,400 families have been entirely lost due to Israeli bombings—numbers that various UN agencies corroborate. The recent ceasefire and swaps of hostage detainees have generated mixed emotions: a sense of relief for those returning yet a painful journey for others who must cope with the absence of missing loved ones while confronting the collective grief within the territory.
“He insisted we take him straight to the graves,” Ali recounted. “He was extremely quiet, showing no tears. I believe he was in shock.”
Alaa was released on 15 February as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, a truce that has momentarily halted over a year of intense conflict. He has consistently asserted his non-involvement with Hamas; like numerous other civilian men in Gaza, he fell victim to the broad detainment actions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Recent emergency legislation allows for the detainment of Palestinians without charges, labelling them as “unlawful combatants.” The IDF asserts that this practice aligns with international law.
A report by the Guardian last year revealed systemic abuse and harsh treatment of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons since violence escalated—an assessment echoed by Alaa’s own experiences in custody. Since October 2023, at least 60 individuals have reportedly died under Israeli detention. Alaa described facing severe physical assaults and suffering from impaired eyesight requiring surgical intervention. The prison’s overcrowded and frigid conditions, combined with the lack of access to medical care, led to outbreaks of skin infections.
In this grim environment, Alaa was given minimal sustenance, resulting in a drastic weight loss of 25 kg. His emaciated appearance upon release was shocking to his remaining family.
“He looked skeletal. At every moment in detention, he felt as if he were staring death in the face,” Ali explained.
In the past, the Israel Prison Service has asserted its compliance with legal standards while operating under the scrutiny of the state comptroller.
During his time in detention, Alaa had no access to legal counsel or news. Upon his return, he immediately sensed that something was amiss when he noticed Hala and the children were not there to welcome him. Ali was left with the harrowing task of informing his brother of the unimaginable loss.
Currently, Alaa is recuperating at Ali’s damaged residence in Bureij and intends to resume teaching when he is able. However, Ali observes that Alaa has fundamentally changed: he is subdued and struggles to engage with others. He has turned to spirituality, spending time with the Qur’an. With his home in ruins, he has no photographs of his deceased loved ones to hold onto.
“He dreamt of holding [his family] in his arms again, envisioning a return to a normal life,” Ali shared. “Instead, he was met with catastrophe.”
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www.theguardian.com