Born amid Israeli airstrike 17 days ago, Aisha's short life cut even shorter by another airstrike

A baby girl who was born amid the Israeli bombardment seventeen days ago had to leave the world even before her name was registered along with her two-year-old brother as a volley of Israeli bombs struck their three-storied building on Tuesday.

Born amid the chaos and hardship of war, 17-day-old Al-Amira Aisha, aptly named "Princess Aisha," and her 2-year-old brother, Ahmed, met a tragic end, according to a report published in Arab News.

The Zoarab family, defying the mass exodus that has displaced over 80% of Gaza's population, chose to remain in their three-story apartment building. However, tragedy struck when an Israeli airstrike targeted the building, claiming the lives of at least 13 family members, including the infants.

Israel contends that it targets Hamas militants operating in these areas, blaming them for civilian casualties. The ongoing conflict has seen Gaza's hospitals overwhelmed, with 28 out of 36 reported as out of service, leaving pregnant women and other vulnerable populations in dire straits.

The story of Princess Aisha's short life, born in a hospital without electricity during a cease-fire collapse, underscores the dire circumstances faced by Gazan civilians. Her parents, Malak and Mahmoud, survived the strike, but not without injuries.

As Mahmoud lay in a hospital bed with a fractured pelvis, he bid a heart-wrenching farewell to his children, cradling their lifeless bodies.

Mourners gathered outside Rafah's hospital to pay their respects before the family members, including Princess Aisha and Ahmed, were laid to rest in a nearby cemetery. Amid the grief, Suzan Zoarab, the infants' grandmother, expressed her anguish, saying, "I couldn't protect my grandchildren. I lost them in the blink of an eye."