Mousa Mohamed Taher Al Astal

Location Khan Younis

Fourteen-year-old Mousa Mohamed Taher Al Astal from Khan Younis was a well-behaved and religious boy; he worked hard during term time and played hard during the holidays. He loved football and was an FC Barcelona fan. He also loved swimming and spent as much time as he could at the beach. He was close to his brothers and always looked out for them. He had the potential to be an entrepreneur when he grew up; by age fifteen he was successfully generating a small income by buying and selling bicycles.

On 9 July 2014, Mousa was with a group of other young people watching football at Fun Time Resort in Khan Younis when it was targeted by three Israeli warplanes. The ambulances that came to the aid of the injured people also came under fire. Musa’s body was found five hours after the attack. He had sustained serious head injuries. “We remember him all the time. Some of us forget that he’s not here anymore and still call out for him. The children keep asking for him,” says his mother, Tahani, 39.