Abdullah Tarad Abu-Hejair

Location Gaza

16-year-old Abdullah from the village of Wadi Gaza in Gaza had to leave school early to support his family finanacially. He never had the chance to learn how to read or write, but had started learning the alphabets shortly before he was killed. “He dreamed of being educated, he even used to ask my dad to convince me to teach him," his 14-year-old sister Ameera said. Abdullah had fallen in love with a young woman some months before he was killed and was hoping to marry her when he was a bit older.

On 21 July 2014, Abdullah went out on his motorcycle to an UNRWA school that was being used as shelter in the An-Nuseirat refugee camp. He was targeted by a drone when he was near the school. The first missile missed him, but the second one hit him, tearing his body into pieces. “We were waiting for him to come home when his friend told my father that he was killed. It was such a shock for all of us. My mother still cries all the time. We really miss him,” his sister added.