Deceased Palestinian man raises index finger in shahada gesture

A poignant video captured by activists showed a deceased Palestinian man raising his index finger, a symbolic Islamic gesture of shahada, signifying his recitation of the declaration of faith moments before his death in an Israeli attack.

In Islam, shahada is a gesture made when Muslims declare the oneness of Allah, often recited in moments before death.

According to Al Jazeera, the video showed a young boy wrapped in a coffin, with his bloodstained hand partially visible, surrounded by other bodies.

Local media reported that the young man was killed during an Israeli bombardment on Omar Al-Mukhtar Market near the Baptist Hospital in the Olive District, south of Gaza City.

The Israeli army has continued its deadly offensive against civilians, including children, in Gaza, under the pretext of targeting Hamas fighters. 

The United Nations reported that Israel allowed only one shipment of aid into northern Gaza and subsequently attacked shelters where the aid had been distributed to Palestinians.

More than 11,000 children have been killed in Gaza, with 30% of the victims under the age of five. Thousands more are missing or have been separated from their parents amid the widespread forced displacement of Palestinians by the Israeli occupation.

The overall Palestinian death toll since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza has reached at least 44,383 with more than 100,833 wounded. Thousands more remain trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.