Omar lost his right leg three months ago. On October 1, 2025, as Israel intensified its ground invasion of Gaza amid ceasefire talks with Hamas, Omar was on the street with his 11-year-old sister Layan, cousin Moath Halawa, 13, and friend Mohammed Al Siksik, also 13, to get water from a tanker that had come near their camp in north Gaza’s Jabalia area.

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“The drinking water supply became very rare in the area, so the children of the camp decided to get up just after dawn to be able to get in line for a gallon of water. Moments later, the shelling started and we felt afraid for our children, Layan and Omar,” she said.

As she reeled from doubts over sending the children to get water, they heard someone shouting that Omar had been hit by the shelling.

“The first thing he asked when he woke up after surgery was about his friend and cousin who were in line with him for water,” said Yasmin. “They were both killed.”

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Omar had been grappling with deaths and destructions as soon as the war started. In November 2023, as Israel bombed northern Gaza, Layan was injured by shattered glass of the windows all around their house.

“After a horrific night, we left the house raising a white piece of cloth so that the Israeli soldiers don’t shoot at us, holding Hatem between my arms and walking with Omar and Layan by my side. On the way out, they saw the beheaded body of their eight-year-old cousin along with other martyrs. They froze in horror and started screaming and crying,” said Yasmin. Hatem is four.

Among the children in desperate need of nutrition is Rahaf Al Najjar, who is also 13 like Omar.

Rahaf was fetching food for her five siblings in northwest Gaza’s Sudaniya area in September last year when fire from an Israeli quadcopter pierced both her legs.