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Airwars Assessment
A 13 or 14-year-old child identified as Zakaria Hamed Yahia Barbkh was reportedly killed and another person injured by alleged Israeli sniper fire on January 20th, 2025, near the Al-Awda Roundabout in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Multiple sources, including Wafa News, TRT Arabi, and Al Mayadeen, reported that Israeli forces opened fire near the roundabout, killing the child and injuring another individual who attempted to retrieve his body. According to Wafa, “Snipers opened fire on him, and another child was injured while trying to retrieve his body.” A video shared by @Mehmetcanbekli1 shows a man attempting to drag Zakaria’s body from the street. As he does so, he is fired upon.
Relatives, including Ahmed Mahroos Barblkh and Ameen Wasfi Abo Rami, confirmed Zakaria’s identity, referring to him as a nephew. Numerous posts also circulated footage of the aftermath and photos of Zakaria Hamed, who was freckled and auburn haired. Sources diverged slightly on Zakaria’s age, with Mohammed Yaseen Mohammed Saeed referring to him as 13, and “Genocide in Gaza” reporting him to be 14 years old.
The incident occurred during what was reported as the second day of a ceasefire, as noted by multiple outlets, including @TRTArabi, who stated: “On the second day of the truce, the [Israeli] army snipes a Palestinian child and shoots a young man who tried to retrieve his body.”
All sources that attributed responsibility for the shooting identified Israeli forces as responsible.