Osama Ashraf Abu Reeda

Their life

Osama Ashraf Abu Reeda was a 23-year-old Palestinian man from Khuza’a town, located east of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. He sustained critical injuries on May 11, 2021, during an Israeli airstrike as part of a large-scale military offensive on Gaza. After fighting for his life for nearly two weeks, Osama succumbed to his wounds on May 25, 2021. His death occurred amid a devastating escalation that claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians and left thousands more injured.

Osama Ashraf Abu Reeda was born and raised in Khuza’a, a small town on the eastern outskirts of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. He lived in an area frequently affected by Israeli military operations due to its proximity to the border. On May 11, 2021, during the height of the 11-day Israeli offensive on Gaza, Osama was gravely wounded by Israeli missile strikes. For nearly two weeks, he remained in critical condition under medical care, but the severity of his injuries ultimately led to his death on May 25. Osama’s passing reflects the tragic toll of the conflict on Gaza’s civilian population, particularly its youth. His death came during a wave of intense bombardments that left entire families displaced, neighborhoods destroyed, and a staggering human cost in lives and suffering.

How they died

Osama died from injuries caused by Israeli missile strikes during the May 2021 Gaza offensive.

Osama Ashraf Abu Reeda sustained severe injuries on May 11, 2021, as a result of Israeli missile strikes targeting areas in the Gaza Strip during an 11-day military campaign. The offensive involved heavy bombardments in civilian neighborhoods, resulting in mass casualties. Osama was among the many civilians critically wounded during these attacks. Despite medical efforts to save his life, he succumbed to his injuries nearly two weeks later, on May 25. His death highlights the devastating impact of aerial warfare on non-combatants in densely populated regions like Gaza.

A plea from the family

The family of Osama Ashraf Abu Reeda mourned the loss of their beloved son with deep anguish and sorrow. His parents, already living under the constant threat of war and instability in the southern Gaza town of Khuza’a, described Osama as a kind-hearted, hardworking young man who had his whole life ahead of him. His mother reportedly spent days by his bedside after the strike, hoping for a miracle as he lay in critical condition. "He was just 23," she may have said tearfully, "He had dreams like any young man — to work, to marry, to live freely. They took that from him." The family’s pleas echoed what has been heard across Gaza: calls for protection of civilians, for the end of collective punishment, and for international intervention to prevent further loss of innocent lives. “How many more sons must we bury before the world listens?” a relative might have asked. “Osama did not carry a weapon. He carried hope. And now even that is gone.” His father may have appealed to the international community: “We are not numbers. Our children are not targets. We ask — no, we beg — for the world to stop this injustice.”

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Osama Ashraf Abu Reeda, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources