Dima Rami Abu Al-Auf

Their life

Dima Rami (al-Efranji) Abu Al-Auf, 16, was a Palestinian teenager from Gaza City. She was killed on May 16, 2021, during Israeli airstrikes that targeted residential towers on al-Wehda Street. Dima was at home with her family when the missiles struck, killing seven members of her family. She was part of a civilian population enduring repeated attacks, including women and children, who were huddled in their homes seeking safety.

Dima Rami (al-Efranji) Abu Al-Auf was a 16-year-old Palestinian girl from Gaza City, living in the al-Wehda Street area of Gaza. She was part of a civilian family who had endured multiple Israeli military offensives over the years. Dima and her family were among many civilians living in constant fear due to repeated airstrikes, artillery shelling, and the psychological effects of the Israeli occupation.

Before her death, Dima, like other children in Gaza, experienced severe trauma from the ongoing conflict. Many local and international organizations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, were providing trauma counseling for children like her to cope with the effects of repeated bombardments. Dima was a student, and her life, like those of many Palestinian youths, was disrupted by the war and blockade, which affected access to education, electricity, and basic services.

Dima was part of a family-centered community where extended families lived together in multi-story residential buildings. The Abu Al-Auf

How they died

She was Killed by Israeli missiles during an airstrike on her residential building.

Dima Rami (al-Efranji) Abu Al-Auf was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike that struck her residential building on al-Wehda Street during the early hours of May 16, 2021. The missile hit a multi-story residential tower where Dima and seven members of her family were huddled together, trying to stay safe amid the ongoing bombardment.

The attack was part of a larger wave of airstrikes that night, during which Israeli warplanes struck multiple residential buildings, infrastructure, and civilian facilities across Gaza City. Rescue crews, including medical teams and the Civil Defense, were able to pull thirteen bodies from the rubble, most of them women and children, including Dima.

Dima’s death exemplifies the vulnerability of civilians in Gaza during the offensive, where homes and residential areas were destroyed without prior warning. The attack resulted not only in physical destruction but also left surviving family members traumatized, grieving, and calling for international accountability and protection of civilians under international humanitarian law.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources