Marwan Yousef al-Masri

Their life

Marwan Yousef Atallah al-Masri, 12, was a Palestinian boy from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. On 10 May 2021, his life was cut short when Israeli missiles struck his family home, killing him along with his younger brother, two cousins, and other relatives. Marwan’s death was part of the first day of Israel’s 11-day bombardment of Gaza, which claimed the lives of many civilians, including children.

Marwan Yousef Atallah al-Masri was born and raised in Beit Hanoun, a town in northern Gaza that has often endured the brunt of Israeli airstrikes. At only 12 years old, Marwan was in the midst of his childhood, growing up surrounded by his siblings and cousins in a close-knit family household. On the evening of 10 May 2021, as airstrikes pounded Gaza, his family gathered at home for safety. Israeli warplanes fired two missiles directly at their house, destroying it and crushing the family members sheltering inside. Marwan was killed instantly, along with his 10-year-old brother Ibrahim, his 1-year-old cousin Yazin, and his 10-year-old cousin Rahaf. An older cousin, Ahmad, 20, also lost his life in the strike. For Marwan’s surviving relatives, his loss represented not only the death of a beloved child but the devastation of an entire branch of the al-Masri family. His story reflects the vulnerability of Gaza’s children, who live with the constant threat of bombardment, and the tragic reality of whole families

How they died

Marwan was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

On 10 May 2021, Israeli jets launched missiles at the home of the al-Masri family in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza. Two missiles struck the house directly, leveling it and killing Marwan alongside his 10-year-old brother Ibrahim, his cousins Yazin (1), Rahaf (10), and Ahmad (20). The attack was part of a large-scale bombardment across Gaza that day, which killed at least 20 Palestinians, including 9 children, and injured 95 others. Marwan’s death illustrates how Israeli strikes on residential areas caused high civilian casualties, often wiping out entire families in moments.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Marwan Yousef al-Masri, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources