DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Shaban al-Dalu, a 19-year-old university student, was recovering from injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike on a mosque when a subsequent strike occurred, engulfing the tent he shared with his family in flames. This tragic incident took place in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where around five individuals, including Shaban and his 38-year-old mother, Alaa al-Dalu, lost their lives as a result of the fire. In addition to them, many others, including young children, suffered serious burns from the inferno that erupted.
The attack occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Monday while Shaban and his family were inside their tent. His brother, Mohammed al-Dalu, was sleeping nearby at his vendor’s stall when the explosion awakened him. He rushed to find his father and uncle frantically attempting to rescue their loved ones from the raging fire. Ahmed al-Dalu, Shaban’s father, managed to save two of his children and his daughter, but tragically could not reach his wife or Shaban. He recounted with deep sorrow, “My son was being burned in front of me,” as he spoke to reporters from the hospital, visibly injured and in shock. “I accepted the will of God in every sense of the word.”
The Israeli military stated that their aim was to target militants who were allegedly using the displaced as cover, although they did not provide supporting evidence for this assertion. This specific strike marked the seventh Israeli attack on the hospital complex since March, with three taking place in September alone, according to reports from medical aid organizations.
The conflict escalated following a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities, predominantly civilians, and the kidnapping of around 250 individuals. Israel’s retaliation has left over 42,000 Palestinians dead, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry, which indicated that women and children comprise a significant portion of the casualties. Along with these losses, more than 1.9 million people from Gaza’s total population of 2.3 million have been displaced.
Throughout the course of this ongoing war, Israeli forces have routinely targeted hospitals alongside crowded shelters and makeshift camps, alleging the presence of Hamas militants there without providing substantial proof. Monday’s attack led to a chaotic scene at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where firefighters and displaced individuals struggled for hours to extinguish the flames with limited resources. Secondary explosions were reported, though their origin remained unclear. The aftermath left the courtyard littered with the remnants of charred tents and personal belongings.
“It’s a scene of devastation,” remarked Eliza Sabatini, a nurse working at the hospital with Doctors Without Borders. Witnesses to the strike witnessed the traumatic injuries as more than 60 people were reported to be injured, including 10 children and 8 women, many suffering from severe burns. Eyewitness accounts describe a man weeping as he carried an injured toddler, while another child received urgent treatment on the floor of an overcrowded hospital.
Shaban al-Dalu, who was due to celebrate his 20th birthday shortly, was known to have memorized the Quran in his youth and was a caretaker for his siblings. As a student of computer science, Shaban often shared his family’s struggles through social media and dreamed of leaving Gaza. He had started an online fundraiser to support his family’s escape to Egypt, raising over $24,200. However, since Israeli forces closed the crossing to Egypt in May, no one has been able to leave.
In a heartfelt message on his GoFundMe page, he wrote about his shattered dreams and the overwhelming sense of despair that has engulfed them: “Time feels like it’s stopped in Gaza, and we’re stuck in a never-ending nightmare.” Just a day before the tragic attack, Shaban had been at a mosque reciting the Quran when an earlier airstrike targeted the place of worship, leaving him with serious injuries that required multiple stitches.
In the aftermath of the latest airstrike, his family has been left severely burned, with some members suffering burns covering up to 70% of their bodies. Mohammed reported that his younger brother, Adbel-Rahman, is entirely bandaged due to his injuries, and his sister has sustained significant burns as well.
Shaban’s uncle, Abdel-Hayy al-Dalu, expressed the family’s belief that they would be safe upon arriving at the hospital, asserting, “We built tents – me and my brother – and sheltered here. We ruled out that it will be bombed since it’s a hospital.” After managing to help his own wife and daughters escape, Abdel-Hayy desperately sought to rescue Shaban and Alaa. “We couldn’t help them,” he lamented, recounting how powerless they felt in that moment.