Fekriya Hassan Abdul A’al
She was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 23 October 2023.
On 23 October 2023, during a bombardment of Gaza City, the house where Fekriya was sheltering with relatives was directly hit by an Israeli airstrike. The attack killed her along with two of her siblings, two of her children, and two of her grandchildren. The strike erased three generations of her family in a single moment, ending the life of a woman who had been a cornerstone of her household and community.
Biography
Fekriya Hassan Abdul A’al, 65, was a well-known tailor from Gaza City’s Radwan district, admired for her exceptional talent in making women’s formal clothing. Brides and bridesmaids often came to her home for fittings, and she was deeply devoted to her family, regularly hosting large gatherings. Despite her strength, the toll of ongoing conflict left her feeling depressed and exhausted. She was tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike, along with several members of her family, on 23 October 2023.
Born and raised in Gaza City, Fekriya Hassan Abdul A’al became a respected figure in her community for her skill as a tailor. Her home in the Radwan district was a place where brides-to-be and bridesmaids gathered for fittings, trusting her craftsmanship for some of the most important days of their lives. Beyond her profession, she was a devoted mother and grandmother, known for her warmth and generosity. She often hosted large weekly family gatherings, creating a space of joy and togetherness amid hardship. Her daughter Nevine remembers her as an exceptionally talented woman who balanced her work and family with love. Yet, the unending conflict weighed heavily on her spirit; in their final phone call, she confided that she was very depressed and exhausted by what seemed like an endless war. On 23 October 2023, while sheltering with her family, she was killed in an airstrike that also took the lives of two of her siblings, two of her children, and two grandchildren, leaving behind heartbreak and silence in a
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
Nevine remembered how her mother’s home was always full of brides-to-be and bridesmaids who trusted her tailoring skills, highlighting her exceptional talent.
She described her mother as deeply devoted to her family, hosting large weekly gatherings.
In their last phone call, Fekriya confided: “I’m very depressed and exhausted from what seems to be an endless war.”
By sharing this, Nevine expressed both her mother’s despair at the ongoing violence and her own heartbreak at losing multiple family members in one strike.
Sources & References
People in Gaza City's Radwan district who needed women's formal clothing would head straight to Fekriya Hassan Abdul A'al's place. "I remember when we used to have our house full of brides-to-be and bridesmaids who would come to my mother's place to have a fitting. She was exceptionally talented," Fekriya's daughter Nevine says. The 65-year-old tailor was killed along with two of her siblings, two of her children and two of her grandchildren, after the house they were sheltering in was hit by an air strike on 23 October. Nevine, who was taking cover at a friend's house, says that Fekriya was devoted to her family and would host large weekly gatherings. But Nevine says her mood had been severely affected by the escalation in the conflict: "She told me in our last phone call: 'I'm very depressed and exhausted from what seems to be an endless war'."1 bbc.com Open source