Remembering the Al Koluk Family: A Week After the Escalation of Conflict in Gaza

The dust has fallen, but the silence is heavy.

Last week, the Al Koluk family home was alive with laughter—greetings over meals, soft murmurs of aspiration, and the perfume of Eid sweets still wafting in the air. Today, it no longer exists.

Left behind is sorrow. And remembrance.

The devastating bombings on Al Wehda Street in Gaza did not merely collapse buildings—they broke families, futures, and hope. Along with many who lost their lives was the loved Al Koluk family, whose tale speaks of the unbearable war cost.

The Tragedy on Al Wehda Street

Early on that morning, whole blocks of apartments collapsed. No warning, no time to escape—only an explosion that obliterated homes and histories in a matter of seconds.

The Al Koluk family was among those buildings.

Friends and neighbors hunted for hours through the rubble with their own hands. Cries for help bounced below mangled steel and broken walls. And tentatively, the names of those who perished began to surface.

Who They Were

Abu Waseem, the father—wise, loving, always prepared with a story or a smile.

Abdulhameed (Abood)—young, ambitious, and freshly graduated in media. He recently opened a small candy store to spread joy during Eid.

Reham—a brilliant and quick-witted computer engineer who was the pillar of her family.

Sameh and Ayat—a loving couple who are recent parents to baby Qusai, six months old.

All of them were murdered.

One survived—Medo, rescued alive from the rubble after 10 hours buried under concrete. He is a miracle survivor. For the others, however, the tale ended much too abruptly.

More Than a Family—A Symbol of Gaza’s Humanity

The Al Koluk family is a symbol of the resilience and humanity of Gaza during war. This family endured hope and love amidst perpetual threats of violence and blockade. The sad loss of the Al Koluk family serves to underscore the destructive cost of the war in Gaza for innocent civilians. By remembering the Al Koluk family, we remember their hopes, their bravery, and their invincible spirit. At Children’s Aid, we are dedicated to helping families like the Al Koluk family through emergency assistance, relief from trauma, and hope for a brighter future in Gaza. The Al Koluk family’s story reminds us of the pressing need for peace, civilian protection, and humanitarian aid in Gaza.

How We at Children’s Aid Are Responding

Children’s Aid believes that the best way to honor the dead is to struggle forcefully for the living.

In the aftermath of horrific loss—families torn apart, houses destroyed—we are determined to bring immediate, life-saving relief to those who have lost everything. That includes:

Distributing emergency food, clean water, and medical supplies

–Trauma care and psychosocial support for children

–Supporting families displaced by violence, with dignity and compassion

–Restoring hope where it has been taken away

We cannot restore Abu Waseem, Abdulhameed, Reham, Sameh, Ayat, and baby Qusai.

But to their memory, we will stand taller, work harder, and care deeper—so that others like them can survive, heal, and be heard.

Their names will not be forgotten. Their legacy will be our mission.

In Loving Memory

In the silent emptiness of Abu Waseem, Abdulhameed, Reham, Sameh, Ayat, and baby Qusai, a cry for justice, remembrance, and mercy echoes.Their lives were dreams — a father’s wisdom, a daughter’s drive, a young couple’s love, and a baby’s first smile. All lost in a moment that shouldn’t have been.

But their memory can live on — not only in sorrow, but in kindness, in hope, and in the aid we provide to others still clinging on.Make your move a stand — for humanity, for Gaza, for every child still waiting to be heard.Stand with Gaza. Remember the Al Koluk family. Give now to Children’s Aid.

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