'Like losing my soul': Family of those killed in Gaza speak of loss, justice and what 'WCNSF' stands for

They spoke at an event in central London

Palestinians relocated to London have shared their testimonies after the horror of losing family and friends due to the crisis in Gaza, with one claiming the experience was akin to “losing her soul”.

Khitam Attaallah, 49, and Reem Al Rikhawi, 38, discussed how people they loved had been killed by Israeli bombs in Gaza, and called for an end to the conflict.

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Palestinian children amid the rubble of a mosque-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, which was heavily damaged during an Israeli strike on the night of October 6, 2024.Palestinian children amid the rubble of a mosque-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, which was heavily damaged during an Israeli strike on the night of October 6, 2024.
Palestinian children amid the rubble of a mosque-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, which was heavily damaged during an Israeli strike on the night of October 6, 2024.

Speaking at an event organised by Ambassador Husam S. Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom, they spoke through tears while telling their stories.

Ms Attaallah, who lives in East London, lost 48 members of her family, including parents, sisters, cousins and family members as young as four months old. She said the experience was like “losing her soul”.

“I found myself alone,” she said. “Do you know what it means to find yourself without a family? I used to count them every morning, check on them and talk to them. Now they have all gone without a goodbye, only with sorrow in my broken heart.

“Do you know what it means to lose your family? You will never see their smiles. You will never hear my mother’s voice praying for you every morning. Losing your family means being an orphan and being alone forever.

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“They ask me if I can forgive, a question that sees a stream of memories flood my mind. These were 48 of my family members. My loved ones - 48 innocents, 48 dreams, 48 memories, a part of me.

“We will pray for justice for all of them. My story is one of a thousand of stories left by thousands of Palestinians in other countries.”

There was also testimony from Reem Al Rikhawi, 38, from Gaza, who has lived in England for 17 years, but also lost family in the conflict.

She said: “Just like everyone else, I lost a lot of family members. I’m here today to share a glimpse of the pain of my people in Gaza, remembering that there are still more than two million people enduring the unimaginable.

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“There is a new abbreviation that often is used in the hospitals. It’s WCNSF, which translates to wounded child, no surviving family.

“Women give birth on the road without medical attention and sometimes they die. In Gaza, fathers’ cry saying goodbye to pieces of their kids, not always do they find all the pieces.

Israeli soldiers work on tanks and armoured personnel carriers in Israel on Monday 30 September, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)Israeli soldiers work on tanks and armoured personnel carriers in Israel on Monday 30 September, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Israeli soldiers work on tanks and armoured personnel carriers in Israel on Monday 30 September, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

“In Gaza, premature babies are left to die in hospitals with no food or oxygen. The elderly and kids with urgent needs die due to their injuries with no medical attention.

“The lucky ones are the lucky ones who lost everything. The lucky ones are those who manage to find their kids' names written on their arms so they can be identified, once their little bodies have been dismantled by the evil heavy bombing.

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“In Gaza, instead of bedtime stories in the comfort of their own home, kids hear bombing every night huddled together in crowded tents. In Gaza, sometimes kids have to walk for miles for a few hours to get water for their family. Sometimes they manage it, sometimes they get killed on their way back.

“Does the world understand now our pain, the pain that mountains cannot bear? Maybe we have suffered just enough to earn empathy and be considered as humans whose lives matter”.

There was also a stark warning from the ambassador. He said: “Winter is coming to Gaza, coming to Palestine. If you think the death toll is high now, wait until the cold, hunger and disease really starts to work.

“We need to assert the primacy of international law fast to avert further disaster in Gaza, and the further erosion of the global rules based order.”

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