Gaza child survivor Sami Abu Qasim left alone after family killed in airstrike

Three‑year‑old Sami Abu Qasim survived an Israeli airstrike that destroyed his family's apartment in Deir al‑Balah, Gaza. The strike killed his father Omar, mother Asmaa and six‑year‑old sister Habiba, leaving Sami with severe burns. He crawled through the flames to reach the doorway and escaped, later receiving medical care. The tragedy left him as the sole survivor of his family, a situation echoed by other children such as 13‑year‑old Ayham, who also lost all relatives in similar attacks. The conflict's human toll is increasingly measured by the number of children left without families.

The account highlights the personal devastation caused by the ongoing war, illustrating how entire households are wiped out in moments, and how surviving children face an uncertain future without parental support.