An Israeli airstrike hit a residential apartment in the Rimal neighborhood, located in the west of Gaza City. Maryam Ahmed Ghanem survived the resulting fire, sustaining severe burns and additional injuries during the event. The strike specifically targeted the residential apartment building, causing significant structural damage and igniting a fire that trapped those inside the unit.
The Rescue and Survival
Local youths performed the rescue of Maryam Ahmed Ghanem from the burning apartment in the Rimal neighborhood. Ali Al-Jaafarawi, one of the individuals who arrived at the scene, pulled the girl from the structure. Upon entering the debris, Ali Al-Jaafarawi shouted, "يا الله.. في أطفال بيصرخوا عايشين" (Oh God, there are children screaming who are alive).
The rescue operation was conducted under hazardous conditions as the fire spread through the residential apartment. Ali Al-Jaafarawi and other local youths navigated the wreckage of the apartment to reach the child. The efforts of these individuals were focused on extracting Maryam Ahmed Ghanem from the immediate vicinity of the flames. Following the extraction, Maryam Ahmed Ghanem was treated for the severe burns and injuries she sustained during the incident.
Reem Awad, the mother of Maryam Ahmed Ghanem, died in the airstrike that destroyed the home. The loss of Reem Awad occurred simultaneously with the destruction of the apartment unit. The family had already experienced a loss when Maryam Ahmed Ghanem's father was killed at the beginning of the war. The death of her father marked the initial loss for the family prior to the events in the Rimal neighborhood. These events left Maryam Ahmed Ghanem as the sole survivor among her immediate family members present in the Gaza Strip.
The airstrike, which targeted the residential apartment, caused the collapse of parts of the structure. The intensity of the fire necessitated an urgent response from those in the area. Ali Al-Jaafarawi was among the first to identify the location of the girl amidst the rubble and smoke. The trauma of the event involved the total destruction of the family residence. Maryam Ahmed Ghanem remains the only surviving member of her immediate family following the death of Reem Awad and the earlier death of her father. The injuries sustained by Maryam Ahmed Ghanem include severe burns, which required immediate attention after she was pulled from the burning apartment. The local youths involved in the rescue worked to clear debris to gain access to the interior of the apartment. This rescue effort notes the circumstances faced by residents in the Rimal neighborhood during the airstrike. The impact of the event resulted in the loss of both parents of Maryam Ahmed Ghanem, leaving her as the sole survivor. The situation in the west of Gaza City remains defined by the aftermath of such strikes on residential areas.