Umm Ibrahim Abu Mahadi, consoled by her brother, mourns at the funeral of her six children killed on April 13 by an Israeli air strike in Deir Al Balah, Gaza. Reuters
Umm Ibrahim Abu Mahadi, consoled by her brother, mourns at the funeral of her six children killed on April 13 by an Israeli air strike in Deir Al Balah, Gaza. Reuters
Umm Ibrahim Abu Mahadi, consoled by her brother, mourns at the funeral of her six children killed on April 13 by an Israeli air strike in Deir Al Balah, Gaza. Reuters
Umm Ibrahim Abu Mahadi, consoled by her brother, mourns at the funeral of her six children killed on April 13 by an Israeli air strike in Deir Al Balah, Gaza. Reuters

Gaza father of six sons killed in single Israeli strike mourns loss of 'most precious part of my life'


Nagham Mohanna
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

In a single moment in Gaza on Sunday, an Israeli air strike killed Ibrahim Abu Mahadi's six sons. The man who enjoyed the respect of his neighbours in Deir Al Balah says he now feels like the most broken man in the world.

When an Israeli warplane bombed a car near Deir Al Balah that day, there were seven people inside – six of them were Mr Abu Mahadi's sons. The eldest was 33. The youngest was 16.

“With the loss of my six sons, I lost the most precious part of my life,” Mr Abu Mahadi told The National. “They were my support, my joy, my life. Every detail of my existence was tied to them.

“When the news came that they had all been martyred at once, I felt my heart would stop. It was a blow no words can describe."

The father, who took pride in his sons, asked to lead their funeral prayers. “Never in my life did I imagine that I would lead the prayer over my own children,” he said. “But I did. And then we buried them together, side by side, in one grave. My sons: Ahmad, Mahmoud, Mohammad, Mustafa, Zaki and Abdullah.”

The Israeli army said on Sunday that it had attacked a command centre belonging to the Palestinian group Hamas in the Deir Al Balah area of the Gaza Strip, claiming that a large number of its operatives were working in the area, without mentioning the car.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, relatives mourn Palestinians killed by the Israeli military. Reuters
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, relatives mourn Palestinians killed by the Israeli military. Reuters

Israel said Hamas "planned to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians" and the country's troops from a compound in central Gaza. They added that steps were taken to minimise harm to civilians, including the use of precision weaponry and aerial surveillance in the attack.

“My sons were civilians, killed in cold blood while in their car. No weapons, no threat – just on their way to run family errands. Yet the Israeli army executed them as if their lives meant nothing,” Mr Abu Mahadi said.

His neighbour, Atta Hussein, 31, told The National that the sons were “some of the kindest, most noble people we knew. Always ready to help, always quick to offer a hand to anyone in need.”

“They were always together – whether visiting family or walking the neighbourhood – known for their good manners and elegance,” he added.

The boys now number among the more than 50,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023, health authorities in the enclave said.

The US, Egypt and Qatar brokered a Gaza ceasefire that came into effect on January 19. The first phase expired on March 1 without any progress on negotiating the next phase, but Gaza remained relatively quiet until Israel resumed air strikes last month and then launched ground operations.

Both Israel and the US insist that hostilities have restarted because Hamas is refusing to free its remaining hostages from among the 240 taken on October 7, 2023.

However, the agreement reached in January includes a second phase of negotiations for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire, to take place alongside the release of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Those talks were due to begin in early February, but they never did, as Israel proposed instead an extension of the first phase.

The biog

DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister

Ferrari
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MATCH INFO

Day 1 at Mount Maunganui

England 241-4

Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28

New Zealand 

Yet to bat

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
​​​​​​​Release Date: April 10

What's in the deal?

Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024

India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.

India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.

Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments

India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery

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Director: Punit Malhotra

Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal 

1.5 stars

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80

Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km

ESSENTIALS

The flights 

Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes. 

Where to stay 

The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.

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Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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The specs: 2018 Ford Mustang GT

Price, base / as tested: Dh204,750 / Dh241,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 569Nm @ 4,600rpm​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Fuel economy, combined: 10.3L / 100km

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Results

International 4, United States 1

Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.

Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.

Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.

Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.

Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.

Monster

Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

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Arrogate's winning run

1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016

2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016

3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016

4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016

5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016

6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017

7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017

MATCH INFO

Bangla Tigers 108-5 (10 ovs)

Ingram 37, Rossouw 26, Pretorius 2-10

Deccan Gladiators 109-4 (9.5 ovs)

Watson 41, Devcich 27, Wiese 2-15

Gladiators win by six wickets

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Previous men's records
  • 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
  • 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
  • 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
  • 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
  • 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
  • 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
  • 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
  • 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
  • 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
  • 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

How to report a beggar

Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)

Dubai – Call 800243

Sharjah – Call 065632222

Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372

Ajman – Call 067401616

Umm Al Quwain – Call 999

Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Updated: April 15, 2025, 2:09 AM`