Al-Rihiya, occupied West Financial institution – On the morning of October 16, nine-year-old Muhammad al-Hallaq awakened for an additional day in his small village south of Hebron.
His mom, Alia, ready his garments and breakfast, and packed three further slices of pizza for him to share along with his pals, identical to he’d requested.
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Muhammad got here again from faculty with a brand new backpack and put his books and notepads inside it, excited to take it to highschool after the weekend. He ate a little bit of meals after which went out to look at the birds, as he preferred to do.
A baby, excited by the easy issues, and curious concerning the world round him.
Muhammad got here house, messed round with some olives, after which went out once more to play soccer. This time, the fourth-grader didn’t come again.
‘Muhammad was gone’
On the grocery retailer, Alia acquired a cellphone name.
“It was my uncle Ahmad calling, asking if there have been any clashes [with Israeli forces] in our space,” she recounted. “I screamed unconsciously. ‘My son Muhammad, my son Muhammad!’ I don’t know why, however a mom’s instincts are all the time proper.”
Muhammad’s eldest sister, 14-year-old Mais, heard the gunfire within the night and rushed outdoors.
Each Mais and Alia had been initially informed their boy had been injured.
Alia headed for the native hospital and was informed that her boy had been hit by a bullet.
“They stated his situation was good and that they might take away the bullet,” Alia stated. However then she began listening to whispers about his pulse stopping. She wished to see Muhammad, however wasn’t allowed within the working theatre, as surgeons desperately tried to avoid wasting the boy’s life.
Then Alia heard the center monitor give a protracted, piercing beep. Muhammad was useless, killed by Israeli forces working in his village.
“Muhammad was gone,” Alia stated. “And with him, every thing good.”
Deadly power
Commenting on Muhammad’s killing by Israeli forces, the United Nations Human Rights Workplace within the occupied Palestinian territory stated it was “appalled”. The UN workplace added that Muhammed was the 1,001st Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces or settlers within the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, together with 213 youngsters.
The UN stated that the youngest baby killed by Israeli forces within the West Financial institution was two-year-old Laila Khatib, who was shot in her house in Jenin in January throughout an Israeli raid.
“Worldwide requirements require Israel to make sure an unbiased and efficient investigation of all incidents the place people have been killed in violent or suspicious circumstances,” the UN workplace stated. “The massive numbers of Palestinians killed on this interval, the prevalence of the illegal use of power, the enabling and assist for settler violence and the endemic impunity for crimes dedicated towards Palestinians, all recommend that Israeli [forces] use deadly and probably deadly power as a device to manage and repress Palestinians, somewhat than because the final resort to revive and keep public order and civil life for the Palestinians.”
Muhammad and his pals are believed to have run after they noticed Israeli navy autos of their neighborhood, earlier than Israeli troopers started taking pictures.
An preliminary assertion from the Israeli navy stated that its forces had been responding to suspects throwing rocks – though no native experiences point out that had occurred, or that Muhammad and his pals had been concerned. Israeli media have since reported {that a} preliminary navy investigation had discovered that the taking pictures “deviated from the foundations of engagement”, and that there had been “improper use of weaponry”.
‘An enormous void’
Israeli troopers not often face repercussions for finishing up killings of Palestinians within the West Financial institution, with cities and villages like al-Rihiya as an alternative left to select up the items after tragedies like Muhammad’s demise.
He was the third of 5 siblings – other than Mais, the eldest, there’s Jaddi, who’s 12, six-year-old Sila, and four-year-old Elias.
Muhammad’s absence is heartbreaking for all of them.
The white gown he wore for Friday prayers nonetheless lies neatly folded beside his mattress, subsequent to a small bottle of fragrance. His books are stacked the place he left them.
“That is the place Muhammad slept,” Alia stated, as she pointed to the empty area. “They killed his childhood.”
His household are struggling to take care of Muhammad’s demise in their very own methods. Sila refuses to return to highschool – her brother all the time walked alongside her.
Mais stated that she collapsed when she heard that Muhammad had died.
“Muhammad wasn’t only a brother, he was my buddy,” she stated. “When he got here house from faculty, he would ask me to tutor him, and if I acquired busy, he would get offended and say ‘train me first’. I used to be afraid of sleeping at nighttime, so he would stick with me till I fell asleep, then he would fall asleep.”
The bag Muhammad acquired on his last faculty day nonetheless hangs on a nail close to his mattress.
His father, Bahjat, finds himself strolling by the bag and across the room, touching his mattress, respiration within the scent of his garments.
“His passing left an enormous void,” stated Bahjat. “I see him in each nook of the home: on the eating desk, in his examine and the play space.”
“I nonetheless can’t consider he’s gone,” Mais stated. “I think about him in heaven, enjoying, laughing, and having enjoyable identical to he used to. I nonetheless can’t consider he’s gone … and I by no means will.”
