Sumaya Abu Ajwa, a caregiver to two teenage foster daughters, Nuseiba and Retaj, found herself in the midst of a tragic incident when missiles struck while they were waking up for Fajr prayer. The girls were killed in the attack, with Retaj succumbing to her wounds and Nuseiba found later with her body torn in two. Abu Ajwa desperately searched for the girls in the chaos but was unable to save them.
The girls had expressed their wish for the war to end as they had endured fear, displacement, and hunger multiple times. Their brother was also taken from them during an Israeli raid on al-Shifa Hospital. Abu Ajwa expressed her sorrow at the loss of the girls and shared their desire for peace.
Abu Ajwa recounted the girls’ reluctance to leave the school where they were taking Quran classes, as Nuseiba was proud of her progress in memorizing the holy book. Despite discussing leaving, Abu Ajwa had decided to stay with the girls through displacement and hardship. She now mourns their loss and recalls their final wish for an end to the war.
As she wept, Abu Ajwa reflected on the girls’ absence and expressed her longing to hear them call her “Mama Sumaya” once again. Despite the devastating loss, she finds solace in the fact that their brother, who was separated from them, may have been spared from harm. The tragic incident serves as a reminder of the toll of conflict on innocent civilians, leaving families shattered and communities grieving.
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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com