Alaa Abu Mahrem

“Alaa Abu Mahrem, a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, her mother originally from Bethlehem, lived there with her family until 2014. During a visit to Gaza with her family, the 2014 war erupted. After the war, they were not allowed to return to Bethlehem by the Israeli occupation, considering them terrorists simply for entering Gaza”.

“They lived in Gaza, and Alaa grew up there. Her main focus was on her studies, and her dream was to achieve a high score in high school to make her mom proud and become a doctor.She was an example of a well-mannered, smart, and ambitious girl—a girl with a smile on her face, beloved by everybody, and always willing to help.”

“She was the closest person to me, and we spent most of our time together, sharing the same road to school and everything, including her food, which she used to distribute among us”.

“Sadly, when the war broke out, they refused to leave for the south because they didn’t know anyone there. They chose to stay at home, facing fear and hunger with patience. I kept in touch with her until the day before she was killed, and then I lost contact. Twenty days later, I randomly learned that she had been killed”.

“Their home was targeted on the night of December 4th with three missiles. The occupation killed Alaa, her mother, the affectionate aunt Abeer, her father, and siblings—twin sisters Ayat and Jenat (14 years old), A’laa (10 years old), and Baraa (9 years old). They are still under the rubble”.

“Alaa is not just a number; she was full of life and had a beautiful spirit that left a positive impact on the lives of everyone who knew her”.