Shaban al-Dalou, a 19-year-old software engineering student from Gaza, was just days away from his 20th birthday when he tragically lost his life. Displaced from his home and struggling to survive in central Gaza, Shaban had been documenting his family’s hardships under Israeli airstrikes. Despite his efforts to seek help and raise money to evacuate his family, he couldn’t secure enough funds.
Shaban’s story gained global attention when his final moments were filmed. Connected to an IV, he and his mother were burned alive during an Israeli bombing of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital complex in Deir el-Balah on Monday.
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In the videos Shaban recorded in the months before his death, he described the harsh realities of living under constant bombardment. He explained the lack of safety in Gaza, the difficulties in finding food due to Israeli blockades, and his attempts to help others, including donating blood at the hospital where he would eventually perish. In one of his videos, he pleaded for a ceasefire, calling for an end to the ongoing tragedy.
Shaban’s family had been displaced five times and had been living in a makeshift tent on hospital grounds for months. Despite his youth, Shaban took on the responsibility of caring for his parents and siblings, documenting their struggle and sharing their reality with the world.
On Monday, tents used as shelters in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital courtyard were engulfed in flames after Israeli airstrikes, tragically trapping Shaban al-Dalou and his family. Shaban’s father, Ahmad, who suffered severe burns, recounted how the force of the explosion threw him out of the tent. Despite his efforts to save his children, the fire quickly consumed everything. He managed to rescue two but was unable to save Shaban and his mother.
Shaban, a dedicated student who had memorized the Quran, dreamed of studying abroad to become a doctor. His father, who had initially wanted him to stay closer to home, now wishes he had sent him. Shaban and his mother were buried together, as they perished in each other’s arms during the fire.
The airstrike injured at least 40 people and devastated a makeshift camp where many displaced families had taken refuge. Madi, a mother of six, described the chaos as people, their bodies on fire, ran screaming from the flames.
The strike is part of an ongoing escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza, and the incident has drawn rare condemnation from U.S. officials, who expressed deep concern over the images of civilians burning alive. While Israel claims Hamas operates near civilian areas, there was little evidence to support the accusation in this instance. Ahmad al-Dalou, mourning his son and wife, expressed his desire for peace and basic rights, calling on divine justice for their oppressors.
