I was on the phone yesterday when my mom told me how close she was to being shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near our home.
She was returning home from a relative’s wedding. My brother was driving her, along with his wife and my other brother’s wife. Then the car ran out of diesel.
This is the story my mom told me.
We were on our way home. Your brother was driving down the hill near the Shahin family’s house when his car ran out of diesel fuel. He had to pull over and park on the side of the road. I and your brothers’ wives decided to continue home on foot since the house was nearby.
As we were walking downhill, we were surprised to encounter a group of Israeli occupation soldiers on patrol in front of us. The soldiers told us to turn around. But I replied, “Turn around and go where? Our house is right there. I want to go home!”
The soldiers repeated, “Turn around and go back.” I kept shouting at them, saying, “Our house is there!” Your brothers’ wives told me, “Let’s wait. We don’t want the soldiers to get angry and do something.” So we waited on the sidewalk until they allowed us to pass.
After some time, the soldiers moved up to the top of the hill and let us continue. We walked down while the soldiers headed upward.
When the soldiers reached the top, one of them turned toward a car that had been parked, waiting for the patrol to pass, and calmly opened fire on the people inside while they were still sitting in the vehicle.
After the soldiers left, people gathered around the car to see what happened and to help the injured. I also went over to look. They found a 7-month-old baby who had been shot. The bullet entered through his mouth and lodged in his mother’s jaw. The boy’s father had also been shot in the hand.
My family were steps away from death. If not for God’s protection, and if the car had not run out of diesel at that exact moment, it could have been my family in that car.
Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return. May Allah strengthen the hearts of the child’s family and grant them patience, and may He take retribution from the Israeli army that caused this loss.
