Hala Hussein al-Rifi

Their life

Hala Hussein Ra’fat al-Rifi, 13, was a young Palestinian girl from Gaza City in the central Gaza Strip. She was among the dozens of civilians killed during the devastating Israeli bombardments on May 13, 2021. Like many children in Gaza, she lived under siege and constant threat of airstrikes, her childhood overshadowed by fear and uncertainty.

Hala’s life was cut short during one of the heaviest nights of bombing in the 11-day escalation of May 2021. That night, Israeli missiles rained down across Gaza, destroying apartment towers, family homes, and public infrastructure. Among the victims were entire families, children, and the elderly. Hala became one of 36 Palestinians killed that night, leaving her family shattered. Her death joined the long list of children whose lives, hopes, and futures were extinguished in the conflict.

How they died

Hala was killed in an Israeli airstrike on May 13, 2021.

The Israeli military launched a wave of air raids across Gaza, striking residential areas with no prior warning. In these bombardments, homes were reduced to rubble and civilians inside them were buried or killed instantly. Hala was among the victims who died when missiles struck populated areas, making her one of 18 children killed in the first week of the assault.

A plea from the family

Hala’s family, devastated by her killing, spoke with broken voices of a life that had barely begun. Her mother wept, saying: “She was only thirteen… she still clutched her schoolbooks, still dreamed of becoming a teacher one day. Why did they kill my daughter? What danger could a little girl bring to warplanes and bombs?” Her father added, with grief and anger: “We buried our child with our own hands. No parent should have to do this. The world sees the numbers, but each number is our heart torn apart. We ask—does anyone hear our cries, or do our children’s lives mean nothing?” An uncle, standing at the funeral, pleaded: “We call on the world not to look away. Hala was not a fighter, not a soldier. She was just a girl who wanted to live. How many more of our children must be buried before there is justice?”

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Hala Hussein al-Rifi, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources