Key facts
- Ahmed al-Siqali returned to Gaza after being separated from his family for nearly three years.
- Six of his seven children were killed in an Israeli strike on their home in Gaza City.
- Al-Siqali was detained in the West Bank for two weeks before being returned to Gaza.
- His wife, Hayat, survived the strike with their daughter, Rosan.
- The family is now living in a tent in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis.
Ahmed al-Siqali, a father of seven, returned to the Gaza Strip after nearly three years of separation, only to be met with devastating news: six of his children had been killed in an Israeli strike on their home. Al-Siqali had left Gaza to work in Israel before October 2023 and became trapped in the occupied West Bank when the conflict escalated.
His family was sheltering in Gaza City when an Israeli strike hit their home in December 2023, killing six of his children. The sole survivor from the immediate family was his daughter, Rosan, who was wounded along with his wife, Hayat.
Al-Siqali's return to Gaza was facilitated after he was detained for two weeks by Israeli forces in Qalqilya in the West Bank. He was eventually transferred back to Gaza alongside 23 other workers.
Upon his arrival, al-Siqali was reunited with his wife and daughter, but the reunion was overshadowed by the loss of their other six children. His wife, Hayat, expressed forgiveness to him, stating she could not protect what he had entrusted to her.
The family is now living in a tent in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, facing the immense challenges of displacement and the destruction of their home and livelihoods. Al-Siqali, a construction worker, faces a collapsed sector in Gaza, adding to the profound grief of losing his children.