Mohammad Mo’een al-Qolaq

Their life

Mohammad Mo’een al-Qolaq, 43, was killed on May 16, 2021, during the Israeli airstrikes on al-Wehda Street in Gaza City. He was one of thirteen members of the al-Qolaq family who perished that night as residential homes were struck by missiles. The bombardment destroyed entire households, including children and the elderly, leaving survivors devastated. Mohammad’s death reflects the indiscriminate targeting of civilians during the offensive and the tragic human toll on Gaza families.

Mohammad Mo’een al-Qolaq was a 43-year-old resident of Gaza City. He lived with his extended family on al-Wehda Street, a densely populated neighborhood that became the epicenter of one of the deadliest airstrikes in Gaza on May 16, 2021. That night, Israeli missiles struck residential buildings, collapsing homes and killing thirteen members of the al-Qolaq family, including children, women, and elderly relatives. Mohammad was among those killed under the rubble as families sought safety in their homes during the sustained air raids. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) reported that rescue teams recovered numerous bodies, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on civilians and the violation of international humanitarian law principles. The al-Qolaq family’s losses were part of a broader wave of destruction that night, which left tens of thousands displaced, roads destroyed, and critical infrastructure damaged, further straining Gaza’s already fragile health and power systems. Mohammad’s death symb

How they died

He was Killed by Israeli airstrikes on al-Wehda Street, Gaza City, on May 16, 2021.

Mohammad Mo’een al-Qolaq was killed when Israeli missiles struck the residential buildings on al-Wehda Street, where he and his family were sheltering. The strikes caused multiple homes to collapse, burying thirteen members of the al-Qolaq family under debris, including children, adults, and the elderly. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Mohammad and his relatives, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the attacks. Human rights organizations condemned the targeting of civilian homes, noting that the attacks violated international humanitarian law principles of necessity, distinction, and proportionality. Mohammad’s death, along with dozens of other civilians that night, underscored the human cost of the military offensive in densely populated areas.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Mohammad Mo’een al-Qolaq, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources