Shaimaa Ala’ Abu Al-Auf

Their life

Shaimaa Ala’ Abu Al-Auf, 21, was a young dentistry student in Gaza City whose life was tragically cut short on May 16, 2021, when Israeli missiles struck a residential building on al-Wehda Street. She was among dozens of civilians, including many children and women, who were killed that night as their homes collapsed around them. Shaimaa had been pursuing her education in dentistry, dreaming of a future where she could serve her community through medicine, but those aspirations were silenced in the rubble of the airstrikes.

Shaimaa Ala’ Abu Al-Auf was born and raised in Gaza, where she pursued higher education despite the challenges of blockade, war, and repeated crises. A bright and determined young woman, she enrolled at a university in Gaza to study Dentistry, a career path through which she hoped to heal and help others. Her dedication to education was part of a wider culture of resilience among Gaza’s youth, who strive to build futures despite dire living conditions. On May 16, 2021, Shaimaa was inside her home when Israeli warplanes unleashed one of the deadliest nights of bombing during the May offensive. Dozens of residential buildings on al-Wehda Street were struck, collapsing onto the families inside. Shaimaa was killed in the attack, along with her neighbors and extended relatives, including children as young as one year old. Her death was part of a massacre that left more than forty civilians dead in a single night and devastated entire families. Shaimaa’s short life and promising career were ended before she could g

How they died

She was Killed by Israeli airstrikes on a residential tower in al-Wehda Street, Gaza City.

Shaimaa Ala’ Abu Al-Auf was killed when Israeli warplanes launched heavy bombardments on al-Wehda Street in central Gaza City. The strikes destroyed multi-story residential buildings, causing entire structures to collapse with families inside. Shaimaa was one of the thirteen bodies pulled from under the rubble on May 16, including women and children. Human rights organizations described the incident as a grave violation of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that the airstrikes overwhelmingly targeted civilians. Shaimaa’s death reflected the devastating toll of indiscriminate bombardment, which claimed the lives of students, doctors, elderly residents, and dozens of children.

A plea from the family

Some extended relatives of the Abu Al-Auf family, interviewed after the attack, said: “They were just civilians, doctors, students, children, entire families. Why were they bombed in their homes? We ask the world to protect us — we cannot keep burying our children.”

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Shaimaa Ala’ Abu Al-Auf, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources