Qusay Sameh Al-Qulaq

Their life

Qusay Sameh Al-Qulaq was a one-year-old child from Gaza City. He belonged to the well-known Al-Qulaq family, many of whom were tragically killed during the Israeli bombardment of al-Wehda Street on May 16, 2021. Qusay was among the youngest victims of the assault, which wiped out multiple generations of his family. His short life ended before it could truly begin, symbolizing the devastating impact of war on Gaza’s children and families.

Qusay Sameh Al-Qulaq was born in Gaza in 2020 and lived with his family in their home on al-Wehda Street, a residential area in Gaza City. He was the beloved son of Sameh Fawaz Al-Qulaq, who also perished in the Israeli missile strike. Qusay’s life, though brief, was intertwined with a large extended family that valued education, resilience, and community ties. On the night of May 16, 2021, Israeli airstrikes struck his home and surrounding buildings, killing Qusay along with seventeen members of his extended family, whose ages ranged from 1 to 90. Entire households of the Al-Qulaq family were annihilated, leaving a permanent scar on Gaza’s collective memory. His story has been documented by human rights organizations as part of the wider civilian toll of the 11-day Israeli assault on Gaza in May 2021.

How they died

Qusay was killed by Israeli missiles that struck his home on al-Wehda Street, Gaza City, on May 16, 2021.

On May 16, 2021, during one of the deadliest nights of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, warplanes fired heavy missiles on al-Wehda Street, a densely populated residential area in Gaza City. Reports from survivors and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights noted that around 150 bombs were dropped throughout the night, collapsing entire buildings and burying families under rubble. Qusay, only one year old, was inside his home with his parents and relatives when the missiles struck. He, along with his father Sameh and many other family members, died instantly. His death is one of many examples cited by rights groups as violations of international humanitarian law, due to the targeting of civilian homes and noncombatants.

A plea from the family

Riyad Hasan Shkontana was the only survivor from his immediate family. He was pulled alive from beneath the rubble on May 16, 2021, but when he reached the hospital, he was told that his wife and four young children (aged 2–9) were all killed in the strike. His pleas and testimony highlighted his devastation: he said that his entire life was destroyed in a single night, and he asked how civilians could be targeted while they were asleep in their homes.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Qusay Sameh Al-Qulaq, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources