25-06-2015
Ruins of the three-storey house of Salama and Turkiya Dheir where around 30 members of the family used to live, including the mother and her five sons and their families. Two missiles were fired at the home killing 19 members including nine children.
The whole family of Omar Dheir, Turkiya's son, his wife and their five children were killed. From the family of Mahmoud, Turkiya's other son, which included five children - only 1 child - Ahmad (11) survived.
One day before the attack the home was empty except for Turkiya because her sons and their families were staying with their in-laws in an area considered safer in Rafah. They decided to reunite with Turkiya for Eid al-Fitr, the feast at the end of fasting month of Ramadan.
Of the residents who were inside the house at the time of the attack only three survived: all children, Minna Ali Dheir (5), Suhaib Ali Dheir (6), and Sundos Mohammed Dheir (8 months). Ali - the father of Minna and Suhaib – survived because he was at work on the water facilities. He says that Suhaib cannot focus in school.
Photos of Jamalat with her five children who were killed during the attack.
Ali, one of Turkiya's son, says that it took two days to retrieve the bodies from below the rubble.
Sundos in the arm of her grandmother. Sundos flew out of her mother’s arms, Yasmin, when the second missile struck. Yasmin was killed and Sundos was found around 50 meters away, with only minor injuries.
ID photo of Reem Abdel Aziz Mohammed Dheir (32). Reem was killed together with Omar and their five children.
Ahmad Dheir (11) with his grandmother. On the day before the attack, Ahmad refused to stay with his family when they returned to their house to celebrate the Eid. Ahmad asked to be allowed to go back to his maternal grandmother’s house. His father finally agreed and took him back. That same night, Ahmad’s home was hit and his parents, Mahmoud and Jamalat, and his five siblings were killed. He is now staying with his maternal grandmother and has returned to school.
Dheir Family, Rafah
At approximately 4:34 am on Tuesday 29 July 2014, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at the house of the sons of Salama Mahmoud Slama Dheir in Rafah. Five families compromised of 26 were living in the three-story house. As a result, the house was totally destroyed and 19 of its residents were killed. Most of the residents were outside the home at the time of the attack, but the brothers and most of their families had came back the day before to be reunited with their mother, Turkiya, for Eid al-Fitr, the feast at the end of Ramadan.
Al Mezan identified their names as follows: