Nawal Abdallah Abu Nada

“Since the moment she was born, I’ve seen her as my daughter more than my niece.”
Nawal Abdallah Abu Nada, 17. I helped raise her and was like a close friend to her. She shared every detail of her life with me.”

“Her ambitions had no limits, and neither hardship nor the wars could stop her. She always excelled in school and was preparing to become a doctor, dreaming of graduating from an American university. I was working on a video lesson—she was so excited for it, and I wanted to make her happy… but the war took us by surprise.”

“The sorrow and pain are so deep, weighing heavy on my heart to this day because I couldn’t fulfill her small request before she was taken from me—before I lost her and her smile forever. On October 13, 2023, an American missile killed her, along with her brothers (Ahmad, Anas, Mohammad) and their mother and her whole family.”

“I couldn’t rest until I recovered her from under the rubble after four days. I visit their graves, pour water for their souls, and recite the Quran for them. A part of me was buried with them.”

“Nawal is gone, leaving behind her dreams and ours with her. She will always be in my heart and mind. Her memory stands as a witness to the injustice and pain the war left behind.”

A team member received a message from Nawal’s uncle, The photographer Amr Abu Nada. In the photos, Nawal is shown with her