Shadi Ziyad Isleem

Location Gaza

15-year-old Shadi Ziyad Isleem from Gaza City was a huge football fan. He dreamt of becoming a famous Palestinian football player. He liked telling jokes and was a religious boy who performed all of his daily prayers at the mosque. He helped his uncles in their shops. He was courageous and a brave boy; he was not afraid of war.

On 20 July 2014, during a heavy Israeli bombardment on Al Sheja’iya, Shadi’s neighborhood, his family and neighbors decided to evacuate. Shadi and his family left the house together but in the chaos of the intensifying attacks by Israeli forces, Shadi, his brother Fadi, 9, and his sister, Ola, 11, were separated from their family. They hid in a nearby house. Thinking the attacks had stopped, Shadi, Fadi, and Ola left the house. Immediately upon leaving the house, they were targeted by Israeli forces. The three were killed instantly.