TNYT | Palestine Angel | Dareen al-Bayaa | 47 of her Family members were Killed in Gaza on Oct 22nd

February 16 | 2024

The New York Times

Eleven-year-old Dareen al-Bayaa lost dozens of her family members in a single airstrike in Gaza.

She is one of at least 17,000 children across the territory who have been orphaned or separated from their parents.

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Shaheen

The voice of a fallen angel; Dareen al-Bayaa, survives speaking for all the orphans of the Palestinian children.

“Why?”

“I would like to understand ‘why’ they do this to us.”

Dareen; “asks?”

Love from us all with abundance of prayers for a less painful recovery and a peaceful life with your brother Kinan, and your uncle Salama and family. ‘Inshallah’ (God willing) as what Dareen would say.

Dareen al-Bayaa recollection; in bereavement.

Transcript;

I heard my name Dareen al-Bayaa. So I woke up. And then I heard someone say that her entire family was killed.

I said, "Me?"

She said, "Yes, that's you."

I told her, "No, my parents did not die.
They're still here."

I said, "You're liars. You're lying to me. They weren't killed. They're alive."

Dareen al-Bayaa lost her parents in an airstrike that killed dozens of her family members.

They were sheltering together in an area of Gaza the Israeli military had identified as a safe zone.

Dareen and her 5-year-old brother, Kinan, were the only survivors.

They're among at least 17,000 children in Gaza who are now orphans or have been separated from their families.

Dareen continues;

I was in a coma for 15 days.

I couldn't remember anything that happened to me.

I couldn't remember my name or anything else.

I only remembered that maybe I saw my dad in front of me before he was killed.

He used to spoil me, bring me a lot of things, and take pictures of me when I was little.

Everyone in the house was killed, my mom, my dad, my brother Walid, who was 8 years old, my grandmother from my dad's side, my grandmother from my mom's side, my grandfather from dad's side, my grandfather from mom's side, and my uncles and my aunts from my dad's side, and my aunts and uncles from my mom's side, and my uncles' wives also died.

There were many children. The house was full. They were all killed.

Only Kinan and I were rescued from under the rubble. We were the only ones who lived.

Dareen and Kinan are now receiving medical treatment in Qatar.

One of their last remaining relatives left his wife and children in Gaza to look after them.

Dareen continues;

No thank you, uncle.

When I move from one place to another, I feel pain. It feels like someone is hitting me with a hammer or a wooden stick on my knees. All the pain is in my knees.

Please don't hurt me.

Why aren't we like the other children?
I would really like to understand. I would like to understand why they do this to us. Because people can't live without their parents.

It's the first time my mom and dad haven't been by my side.

Why didn't I go with them? I really want to go to heaven and talk to them there.

Why did this happen to me?

The Times reviewed video from Gaza and spoke to three family members who confirmed the names of at least 47 of Dareen's relatives who were killed on Oct. 22.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the airstrike.

It's unclear where Dareen and Kinan will go next.

PRODUCERS
Mona El-Naggar
Neil Collier
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Hassan Kilani
EDITOR
Kristen Williamson
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Caterina Clerici
GRAPHICS
Aaron Byrd
TRANSLATOR
Lara Shahd Zoabi
ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE
Doaa al-Baz
Yehya al-Bayaa
SENIOR PRODUCER
Hanaan Sarhan
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Sameen Amin

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