25 March 2024

Sole survivor - Farouk Mohammed Ahmed

Farouk Mohammed Ahmed is the only survivor of one of many mass executions carried out by the Israeli army in the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.

A copy of an article in The Palestine Chronicle, editor Ramzi Baroud:

In a video interview, which was published in Al-Jazeera and other news outlets, the boy described what happened to him and eight others, including his father and his brother, when they were taken hostage inside the hospital.

“I ran away. But just before I did, I raised my head up. There was more gunfire. My father was no longer responsive. Nobody else was responsive,” he said.

Below is the full, brief testimony of Farouk.

‘Son, Run Away’

“They stripped us from our clothes. They left us standing in the building for two hours. Then, they took us to the Al-Shifa (Hospital).

“They put us in the middle of Al-Shifa. After that, they left us there for about one hour. They took us to the Al-Shifa Tower. Then, they took us to the first floor.

“They had us (lie) on the floor before they took us to the top floor.

“They took everyone’s IDs and inquired about our age.

“They left us for about three hours, then they said: ‘You are safe. You can go south.’

“We stood up, but then, they opened fire. We all laid down on the floor again. Then, the sniper entertained themselves by shooting us one after the other.

“There was a person (besides me) who was hit in the abdomen. Then, he lifted his head to look up and they shot him in the head. All of his blood spilled on me.

“We were nine people, Abu Awad and his two children were martyred, and my father, may Allah bless his soul, and my brother Yousef, and we had a person who was 67 years old. They had not yet brought his children with him.

“He (the old man) told me: ‘If you could help me untie, I will go with you’.

“The moment he moved, they sniped him in the head.

“My father was declaring the shahada (declaration before death) in a low voice. (In his last breath), he said: ‘Son, if you can run away, run away’. I ran away. But just before I did, I raised my head up. There was more gunfire. My father was no longer responsive. Nobody else was responsive.”

You can see the orignal article here: https://www.palestinechronicle.com/my-fathers-last-words-a-gaza-boy-describes-mass-executions-at-shifa-hospital/