Six-year-old Wafaa Akila, affectionately called “Fulla” (Jasmine) by her family, began the new school year carrying brand-new books and the excitement of her first day. Hours later, an Israeli airstrike targeted the car she was traveling in on Naser Street, killing Wafaa and her father, Yusuf.
Images of her blood-stained schoolbooks scattered among the debris have become a heartbreaking symbol of a childhood cut short in Gaza.
Wafaa never finished her first day. Her books remain, but her dreams were taken away.
September 9, 2026 8 2
