Zaid Mohammed ‘Odah al-Telbani

Their life

Zaid Mohammed ‘Odah al-Telbani was a 5-year-old Palestinian boy from the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City. He lived with his parents and younger sister, Mariam, in a close-knit family that endured the hardships of life under siege in Gaza. On May 12, 2021, Zaid’s life was cut tragically short when an Israeli airstrike hit their residential building, killing him alongside his mother, Rima, and sister Mariam. His death, along with that of dozens of other civilians that day, highlighted the devastating impact of war on children and families in Gaza.

Born in Gaza City, Zaid Mohammed ‘Odah al-Telbani was a bright and beloved 5-year-old child. He lived in Tal al-Hawa, a neighborhood in Gaza that, like the rest of the Strip, was marked by resilience despite ongoing siege and periodic bombardments. Zaid was the elder of two children, protective of his younger sister Mariam, and deeply attached to his mother, Rima Sa’ed Kamel Sa’ed al-Telbani. On May 12, 2021, during the third consecutive day of heavy Israeli bombardment across the Strip, Zaid’s home became a target. At about 1:35 a.m., Israeli warplanes launched two missiles at the four-storey residential building next to al-Yaziji Bakery in Tal al-Hawa. The strike killed Zaid, his mother Rima (31), and his sister Mariam (3), along with other residents. Mariam’s body was not immediately recovered from the rubble. Zaid’s short life ended in the very place he should have felt safest—his home. His death is one among many that underscored the staggering toll on children during the May 2021 escalation, in which mo

How they died

Zaid was killed in an Israeli airstrike when a missile struck his residential building in Gaza City.

In the early hours of May 12, 2021, Israeli warplanes carried out multiple strikes on civilian areas in Gaza City. At approximately 01:35 a.m., two missiles struck a four-storey residential building in Tal al-Hawa, adjacent to al-Yaziji Bakery. The explosions collapsed parts of the building, killing several residents, including Zaid, his mother Rima, and his sister Mariam. The violence left behind devastation, with neighboring homes and buildings sustaining damage, and rescuers struggling to recover the bodies from the rubble. Zaid died instantly from the force of the blast and injuries caused by the missile strike, making his death part of the broader wave of civilian casualties caused by the attacks that day.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Zaid Mohammed ‘Odah al-Telbani, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources