Zaid Mohammad Telbani

Their life

Full Name: Zaid Mohammad Telbani
Age: 4 years old
Sex: Male
Date of Death: May 12, 2021
Place of Death: Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood, Gaza City, Palestine
Cause of Death: Killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck the Salha residential building. His mother, Rima, who was five months pregnant, also died in the attack. His sister remains missing and is presumed dead.

Zaid Mohammad Telbani was a 4-year-old Palestinian boy living with his family in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City. Known for his bright smile and boundless energy, Zaid was the heart of his household. He was part of a family doing its best to raise young children in the midst of ongoing hardship and instability under siege.

On May 12, 2021, Zaid’s life was cut short when an Israeli airstrike targeted the Salha residential building where his family lived. The strike occurred in the middle of the night, catching many families unaware as they slept. The building was heavily damaged, and Zaid was killed instantly.

Also killed in the same attack was Zaid’s mother, Rima, who was five months pregnant at the time. The strike not only ended her life but also that of her unborn child. Zaid’s sister went missing during the bombing, and despite rescue efforts, she was never found and is presumed to have died under the rubble.

Zaid was one of several children receiving trauma counselling from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which had been helping him and other young Palestinians cope with the mental strain of living in a warzone. His death highlights the devastating cost of the 2021 Israeli offensive on Gaza, particularly for the youngest and most vulnerable.

Zaid’s story, like those of many children killed in their homes, underscores the urgent need for the protection of civilians in armed conflict and the enforcement of international humanitarian law to prevent such tragedies from repeating.

How they died

Killed by airstrike

Killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Salha residential building. His mother, Rima, who was five months pregnant, was also killed in the same attack. Details

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Zaid Mohammad Telbani, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources