Ghadi, Jamal, and Bahaa Mousa
“Every night during the war, my little ones – Ghadi, Jamal, and Bahaa Mousa – and I faced the darkness filled with fear in their eyes. We prayed for the war to end, said goodnight, and tried to sleep. Then, a nearby bakery was bombed, shaking us awake with explosions and screams”.
“I grabbed Bahaa, who is 8 months old, and rushed to their grandparents’ house with my husband and my other children: Ghadi, who is 9 years old, Jamal, who is 6 years old, and my oldest daughter Mena, who is 12 years old, was already sleeping there”.
“Jamal had a high fever because he was extremely scared. I gave him painkillers, and he fell asleep in my arms. I could hear his heart beating fast and his breathing was heavy. The next day, we went back to our home on the 3rd floor. There was some damage, but we were thankful that everyone was okay. Little did I know that it would be the last night with my children”.
“The next day, Jamal still had a high fever. My little one slept, and I gently placed my hand on his head, saying, “The neighborhood isn’t beautiful without your sweet voice.” Little did I know, that would be my last touch for him. Suddenly, Jamal got up, glanced at me, and went to sleep in the dining room. Then Ghadi came in, carrying Bahaa, and said, “Here, Ghadi’s awake too.” That was the last time I saw my children, and the last words I heard from Ghadi.
confused about why I was there and unable to remember anything. Slowly, I began to realize what had happened and started asking about my children. Everyone kept telling me, “They’re fine, don’t worry.” But a mother’s intuition is never wrong. I asked about my husband, and they said he went to see the kids. I replied, “No, he went to bury them. You’re lying to me.”
“Then my brother whispered in my ear, “Jamal, Ghadi, and Bahaa were killed, and Mena is injured.” Oh God, how difficult those words were to hear. It felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest, and there was a fire burning inside me.
“Then I learned that my brother-in-law, his wife, three children, and another child from the family were all killed. I was the only survivor from our floor. That’s what God wanted, so Mena wouldn’t be alone. Nine family members were killed on October 25th in what was literally a massacre in the Al-Maghazi area”.
The message was written by their mother and was received on our platform by their relative Aya Badrsway