Two teenage individuals, identified as child combatants by the Gaza Ministry of Health and mourned on social media, were killed in the Gaza conflict. Osama Mohammad Salem Qadih, 17, was killed on January 18, 2024, in an Israeli strike, reportedly alongside Al-Qassam fighter Muhammad Ahmad Abu ‘Aliyan. Moamin Hatem al-Hour, 16, was killed during the October 7 "Al-Aqsa Flood battle," with social media posts describing him as a "heroic martyr." Reports from social media indicate that Qadih was mourned for his service to "mujahideen" despite difficult battlefield conditions. A mourning post for Qadih shows him holding a rifle. Al-Hour's father reportedly found relief that those who killed his son were killed immediately after, suggesting Al-Hour may have died during the initial clashes. These identifications emerge amidst escalated tensions and preparations for a major Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) assault on Gaza City. The IDF has designated the entire city a "red zone" and issued evacuation warnings for residents. Previous reports indicated over 300,000 Palestinians had already evacuated Gaza City prior to this reporting window, following IDF strikes on high-rise towers used by Hamas for surveillance and attack preparation.
