He Survived 15 Months of War in Gaza, Then Died as Cease-Fire Neared
The New York Times
Fighting claimed lives until the final moments before the truce between Israel and Hamas took effect. For some, an unexpected delay of a few hours proved deadly.
After more than a year of Israeli bombardment in Gaza, there were few blessings left for Talal and Samar al-Najjar to count by the time a cease-fire deal was agreed to this month. Their home was in ruins, they and their children were displaced, and they were staving off hunger.
Yet they counted themselves lucky: Their family of seven was intact, something to feel grateful for in the war between Israel and Hamas, which has killed tens of thousands. Many more are likely to be unearthed from the rubble.
Then, with only hours until the Palestinian enclave’s 15-month nightmare was set to pause, disaster struck.
Their 20-year-old son, Amr al-Najjar, had rushed to their village in southern Gaza, hoping to be the first one home. Instead, he became one of the last lives claimed before the fragile truce began.
“We’d been waiting so long for this moment, to celebrate the cease-fire, but our time of joy has turned into one of sorrow,” Mr. al-Najjar, 49, told The New York Times in an interview after the funeral for his son.
Not long after 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 19, when he thought — mistakenly — that the cease-fire had begun, Amr al-Najjar was killed alongside two cousins in what survivors said was an Israeli strike. The Israeli military denied it had attacked the area.
