Layan Musleh Sha’er
Severe brain injury from shrapnel wound.
Layan died from a shrapnel-induced head injury caused by an Israeli missile strike on August 6, 2022. The blast caused massive brain trauma, and she arrived at the hospital in a clinically dead state. Despite being placed on life support and undergoing emergency care, she succumbed to her wounds five days later, on August 11, 2022.
Biography
Layan Musleh Sha’er was a 10-year-old Palestinian girl from Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. She was a school student and an active member of a traditional Palestinian Dabke dance team. On August 6, 2022, she was critically injured by Israeli missile fire during a military offensive on Gaza. Suffering a severe head injury from shrapnel, she was transferred to al-Makassed Hospital in occupied Jerusalem, where she later died on August 11, 2022, despite all medical efforts to save her.
Layan Musleh Sha’er, aged 10, was a bright and vibrant child from Khan Younis, Gaza. She was a student who cherished her school life and cultural identity, actively participating in her community through her love for the traditional Dabke dance. Just weeks before her death, she had performed with her team at the Nuwwar Education Center, a moment of joy that now stands as a painful memory for those who knew her.
During the Israeli military offensive on Gaza from August 5 to 7, 2022, Layan was critically wounded when an Israeli missile strike resulted in a shrapnel wound to her head, causing extensive brain damage. She was urgently transferred out of Gaza to al-Makassed Hospital in occupied Jerusalem, in hopes of receiving life-saving treatment.
By the time she arrived, Layan was already clinically dead. She was placed on a ventilator, but doctors could not reverse the trauma. She died on August 11, 2022, surrounded by the futile efforts of medical staff and the crushing grief of her family and community.
Her death was among those of 48 Palestinians, including 16 children, who were killed in just three days of intense Israeli airstrikes and shelling. Layan's tragic death has become symbolic of the many young lives shattered in Gaza, where even childhood offers no protection from violence
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
Layan Musleh Sha’er’s family expressed profound heartbreak and outrage over the loss of their beloved daughter. They described her as a bright, joyful, and talented child whose greatest passions were school and Dabke dance, through which she expressed her love for Palestinian culture and life.
“We sent her to learn and dance, not to die under missiles,” her father said, holding back tears. The family rejected any suggestion that Layan was near a military target, insisting she was simply a child caught in the violence of yet another airstrike on their neighborhood in Khan Younis.
Her parents pleaded with the international community to protect children in Gaza, calling Layan’s death “a crime against innocence.” They urged global leaders, human rights organizations, and the United Nations to take real action to stop the repeated assaults on civilians, especially children.
“We don’t want revenge,” her mother said softly. “We want this to stop. We want no more children to die like our Layan.”
Sources & References
On August 11, 2022, Layan Musleh Sha’er, a 10-year-old girl from Gaza, tragically died from critical injuries she sustained during Israel’s recent military assault on the Gaza Strip. She had been urgently transferred from Gaza to al-Makassed Hospital in occupied Jerusalem, suffering from a severe shrapnel wound to the head that caused extensive brain damage. Upon arrival, Layan was already clinically dead and was placed on a ventilator as doctors attempted to save her life. Despite all medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries and passed away.1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source