Bahaa Al-Khalidi, a 24-year-old martyr and his mother’s only son, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on December 3, 2024, while in their home in Al-Shati refugee camp, Gaza. His mother, who had been separated from him for months due to the war, never had the chance to say goodbye or place a final kiss on his forehead.

Bahaa was her only child, born after she suffered a stroke that left her unable to have more children. In the early days of the war, she left to visit her sister, who had lost six family members in an Israeli bombing. They promised Bahaa they would return, but the occupation forced them south, leaving him behind.

For months, Bahaa endured isolation, starvation, and displacement. He called his mother daily, waiting for her return. His final words were, "I will join them soon," referring to his cousins and close friends who had been killed.

The airstrike that took Bahaa’s life came while he was scrolling through the news on his phone. His mother discovered his death through social media, her heart breaking as his image spread online. Now, she is left with grief and the absence of the son she promised to marry off after the war.

The war has displaced thousands, severing families and denying them the chance to bury their martyrs or even know where their graves are.