Child Profile: Ham’mam Mohamed Safa Abu Essheiban

Name:   Ham’mam Mohamed Safa Abu Essheiban

Date of birth: 13 December 2003

Date of injury: 1 August 2014

Date of death: 4 August 2014

Ten-year-old Ham’mam from the Al Shookah area in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip was an obedient and serious child. His hobbies were playing football, assembling toys and drawing buildings. His ambition was to be an architect. He used to help his father raise chickens and other birds.

Ham’mam’s family evacuated their home for a safer location. On 1 August 2014, during an agreed truce, they decided to return to their home. Ham’mam was in his grandfather’s car. The Israeli forces violated the truce and carried out a random shelling against the civilians. A shell hit the car. Ham’mam and his grandfather were injured. Ham’mam stayed in the hospital, eventually dying from his wounds. “I’m so lonely since I lost him” his father says.