Rahaf Mohammad Al-Masri

Their life

Rahaf Mohammad Atallah al-Masri, 10, was a Palestinian girl from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. On 10 May 2021, she was killed when Israeli missiles struck her family’s home, destroying it and killing multiple members of her family, including her cousins and siblings. Rahaf’s life ended tragically young, one of many children lost in the first day of the 2021 Gaza bombardment.

Rahaf grew up in Beit Hanoun, a densely populated town in northern Gaza that has long endured the hardships of siege and conflict. At only 10 years old, Rahaf was still a child full of promise, curiosity, and innocence. She lived surrounded by her extended family, sharing her days with siblings and cousins in a tightly bonded household. On 10 May 2021, Israeli warplanes launched two missiles at the al-Masri family home, where Rahaf and her relatives had taken shelter. The house was leveled in the strikes, killing Rahaf along with her cousins Marwan (12), Ibrahim (10), Yazin (1), and Ahmad (20). For her family and neighbors, Rahaf’s death was a devastating blow, symbolizing the vulnerability of children in Gaza, whose lives and futures are often cut short in moments of violence. Her memory remains as a reminder of the heavy toll the conflict exacts on innocent lives.

How they died

Rahaf was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

On 10 May 2021, during the opening night of Israel’s 11-day assault on Gaza, the Israeli army fired two missiles at the al-Masri family’s home in Beit Hanoun. Rahaf was inside with her cousins and siblings when the building collapsed under the impact. She was killed instantly, along with four other relatives: Marwan (12), Ibrahim (10), Yazin (1), and Ahmad (20). The strike was part of a broader bombardment across Gaza that killed at least 20 Palestinians that day, including 9 children, and wounded 95 others. Rahaf’s death highlighted how residential homes, rather than military targets, bore the brunt of the airstrikes, leaving families shattered.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Rahaf Mohammad Al-Masri, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources