Gaza – Aamer Saeed al-Ramlawi, 45, was the daddy of 5 youngsters, two daughters and three sons. He was cherished by many, not least by his cousin and greatest good friend, Hassan Youssef al-Ramlawi, 33.
Aamer additionally cherished barbecuing and cooking, particularly on the seaside, which slot in together with his obsession with seafood, particularly crab.
“As a result of my spouse is an incredible seafood prepare dinner, he’d all the time ask for an invite for crab soup,” Hassan advised Al Jazeera with a bit smile.
“Earlier than October 7, we spent most of our time collectively; hanging out each Thursday night, barbequing, taking part in playing cards, and speaking each different day. It was pretty,” Hassan advised Al Jazeera of life earlier than the conflict on Gaza broke out.
Aamer the phenomenon
“Aamer was lively … his spirit unmatched, stuffed with happiness and love. He was all the time organising outings regardless of leisure in Gaza being restricted even earlier than October 7 because of the Israeli blockade of Gaza,” Hassan mentioned.
“He was a nursing director at al-Sorani Clinic, and every time somebody referred to as him for assist, he would rush to them, even when we had been hanging out collectively.
“He all the time had chocolate in his pockets for the youngsters and took tonnes of photographs each time we went someplace. His largest worry was dropping somebody he cherished, and he would pray continually that everybody would keep protected.”
On October 15, a few week after Israel’s assault on Gaza started, Hassan and his household determined to heed the veiled Israeli threats and relocate away from “deliberate operations” in Gaza Metropolis, the place they lived.
“Aamer and his household refused to depart. I referred to as him on daily basis to verify on him. The concept that he could not reply to one among my calls was terrifying since his space was below intensified assaults,” Hassan mentioned, including that the final time he noticed Aamer was on the day he left the north.
Stunning information
On October 25, Hassan was in his uncle’s home in Deir el-Balah, having made it there in a harrowing trek from Gaza Metropolis.
As he sat checking on-line for information of what was taking place in the remainder of Gaza, he was shocked to see a photograph of his 24-year-old cousin Doaa with a caption that mentioned she had been pulled out of the rubble after an Israeli raid hit their house within the al-Taj 3 constructing in Gaza. Aamer lived in the identical constructing
He confirmed the image to everybody round him they usually all agreed that it was Doaa, who had survived. Hassan began calling Aamer frantically, checking each on-line platform he may to see if there was any information about his cousin.
“I referred to as with out a response. I couldn’t settle for and even think about the concept Aamer and his household had been killed. They had been moments of sheer devastation,” he recalled sadly. “His nieces and nephews had been injured, however there was no information about Aamer, that night time, nightmares tore my mind aside.”
Harmful journey again to Gaza Metropolis
The subsequent morning, Hassan determined to return to Gaza Metropolis to search out out what had occurred to his cousin.
“There have been no floor navy operations at the moment. It was actually life-threatening to take action, however I needed to since he was actually my different half,” he mentioned.
It took him about three hours to make the 20-minute journey to Gaza Metropolis from Deir el-Balah however as quickly as he arrived he rushed to the constructing solely to search out it utterly flattened.
“Civil defence staff had been nonetheless nonetheless pulling our bodies from below the rubble. I noticed half a physique, squeezed between the columns of the destroyed constructing partitions. I questioned it if was him.
“I went to al-Shifa Hospital, the place I discovered his brothers and requested them. They didn’t know if he had been killed – all they knew was that he was below the rubble.”
With none data, Hassan headed again to Deir el-Balah, pissed off and scared.
That night he acquired a name from one other cousin who advised him that Aamer had been killed.
“The second he knowledgeable me of his homicide, a tape of our reminiscences collectively began taking part in in my thoughts.
“I checked out myself within the mirror, eyes stuffed with tears, an exhausted physique with a breaking voice, and a pale face with out the trace of a smile.
“He wasn’t simply my cousin; he was my brother, my good friend, and my soulmate.”
Amid his disappointment about Aamer’s loss of life, Hassan can also be painfully conscious that the locations he hung out together with his cousin have additionally been obliterated.
“Israel didn’t even give me the prospect to recollect him, destroying these locations. Nonetheless, I’ll retailer our reminiscences in a particular field in my thoughts.”
