Yousef Rafiq al-Baz

Their life

Yousef Rafiq al-Baz, 13, was a resident of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip who was killed on May 17, 2021, when an Israeli drone launched a missile at his home. The strike also injured his brother, Ramadan. His death occurred during the ninth day of a large-scale Israeli offensive that targeted residential areas, public facilities, and infrastructure across Gaza, causing widespread destruction and multiple civilian casualties.

Yousef Rafiq al-Baz, aged 13, lived in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. On May 17, 2021, during intense Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling, and gunboat attacks on Gaza, a missile launched by an Israeli drone struck his home, killing him and wounding his brother, Ramadan. That day, the Israeli army carried out multiple attacks on houses, commercial buildings, and public infrastructure, including the only Covid-19 laboratory in Gaza. The bombardment resulted in the deaths of ten Palestinians, including a woman and two children, and injuries to 122 others. Yousef’s death was part of the broader escalation that, by that date, had claimed the lives of over 213 Palestinians, including 61 children and 35 women, and left hundreds more injured, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.

How they died

Killed by an Israeli missile strike on his home in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip.

Yousef was killed when an Israeli drone launched a missile at his home in Deir al-Balah, causing fatal injuries. His brother was also wounded in the attack. The missile was part of a broader wave of air and artillery strikes targeting residential and civilian areas in Gaza on that day.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources