Gaza: While many people are celebrating Eid, Fatima Al Shaikh Khalil is mourning the loss of her son who was killed in an Israeli air strike last week. He is the fifth son she has lost.
"I ask God to bestow on me patience in dealing with the loss of my sons. I hope they will reunite in heaven," Fatima told Gulf News. She is living with her three daughters-in-law and 13 fatherless grandchildren. Her house was chaotic as a swarm of people came in to offer their condolences for the latest loss of her son Ahmad.
Amidst the chaos, Fatima, dressed in black, was calm. "I am used to living in sadness," she told Gulf News. Most people cannot bear the loss of losing one child, but for Fatima the loss of five children has made her numb. Her son Ahmad, an Islamic Jihad military leader, was killed along with four others when Israeli warplanes struck a site near Rafah last week.
Fatima was with her son just hours before he was killed. "Ahmad always made me laugh, he was a good child," she said.
