ZIA Khan Younis, Gaza – Her Son’s Last Phrases Hang-out Dlain Radwan.
“Forgive me, mama,” the 24-year-old stated as he lay dying, shot by Israeli troopers whereas he was on a rescue mission on March 23, which he recorded till his final breath.
He needed her forgiveness for the ache his dying would trigger, understanding that she had nervous about him on daily basis since he had grow to be a paramedic.
“I forgive you, son,” Ghalia has whispered tearfully numerous instances since then, understanding that Rifaat had needed his conscience clear earlier than he died in southern Gaza with 14 different emergency staff.
She hopes he is aware of she would all the time forgive him.
‘I felt like a dagger pierced my coronary heart’
On the morning of March 22, Ghalia awoke later than typical and rushed to see Rifaat earlier than he left for work.
However he had already left, and her coronary heart full of dread.
“I had stored wanting over at him the evening earlier than as he was sleeping for some motive,” she says.
The evening of March 21 was unremarkable. Rifaat got here residence in time to interrupt his Ramadan quick along with his household within the displacement tent they dwell in.
After the easy iftar meal, he talked along with his dad and mom a bit after which went to sleep.
“Though I miss him terribly and all the time stay up for him getting residence so we may chat, we all the time made certain to not tire him with speak or staying up late,” Rifaat’s father, 52-year-old Anwar Radwan, says.
Ghalia agrees: “I simply would wash his garments and put together his sleeping spot, so he may go to work rested.”
She’s undecided however believes Rifaat awoke round daybreak for suhoor, the each day meal earlier than fasting begins throughout Ramadan, and was picked up by 6am by his colleagues to go to work. He didn’t come residence after that shift, spending the evening on the first responders centre as a substitute.
On March 23, the household was instructed Rifaat was considered one of 15 Palestine Pink Crescent Society and Civil Defence rescue staff who have been lacking and feared ambushed by Israeli troopers.
That information launched the household into eight days of tormented ready, praying and hoping that Rifaat can be discovered alive.
“I’d tempo forwards and backwards, crying, praying and pleading with God, whereas consistently calling the Pink Crescent,” Ghalia says of the wait whereas Palestinian authorities tried to get Israel to comply with a search operation. “Every time they instructed us Israeli coordination had been denied, I’d faint from the sheer ache.”
Rifaat’s dad and mom, Ghalia and Anwar, waited eight days in torment earlier than studying of their lacking son’s destiny (Yousef al-Zanoun/Al Jazeera)
On the morning of Eid al-Fitr, the household obtained a name from the Pink Crescent that Israeli permission had lastly been granted for search groups to enter the realm.
“I wouldn’t want these agonising hours of ready on any mom on the earth,” Ghalia says.
There is no such thing as a web protection within the household’s tent, so Anwar must go to an web level within the camp to verify for updates.
He got here again to the tent at one level and stated the Pink Crescent had discovered two our bodies, then rushed out once more, leaving Ghalia praying desperately that Rifaat was not amongst them
The subsequent time Anwar got here again, he stated 4 our bodies had been recovered and rushed off once more.
On his third journey again, he stated that they had recovered six our bodies, together with Rifaat’s.
“I felt like a dagger pierced my coronary heart, however I resigned myself to God’s will, and we went to the hospital.”
On the hospital, the households of the opposite paramedics have been ready for his or her family members’ our bodies to reach.
“All of us rushed in the direction of the ambulances, crying. Emergency staff have been weeping bitterly as they bid farewell to their colleagues.”
‘Forgive me’
As excruciating because the anticipate information was, it was nothing in contrast with watching the video Rifaat had recorded of his final moments, which was discovered after his physique was.
Over about 20 minutes, Rifaat could be heard talking concerning the mission they have been on.
An ambulance that had gone to the Tal as-Sultan space of southern Gaza to rescue survivors of an Israeli bombing had disappeared about 4am on March 23.
One other ambulance that went out to search out it radioed again to base to say the lacking colleagues appeared to have been shot, and two extra ambulances have been despatched out to assist them. Rifaat was in a single.
His video clearly reveals the concern within the ambulance and the truth that all of the emergency automobiles – together with a Civil Defence firetruck – have been clearly marked and had their lights on, not off as Israel initially claimed because it tried to justify killing 15 emergency staff and burying them and their automobiles.
Within the video, Ghalia was capable of hear as her son noticed the our bodies of his colleagues and see everybody within the ambulance rush out to assist them as they have been sporting clearly identifiable uniforms.
Members of the Palestine Pink Crescent and different emergency companies pray by the our bodies of their fellow rescue staff killed by Israeli forces (File: Eyad Baba/AFP)
Then got here the sound of gunfire, and Rifaat fell to the bottom because the visuals have been obscured and solely his voice remained as he repeated the shahada, the Islamic declaration of religion, and begged his mom to forgive him.
“Forgive me, mama,” he stated. “I needed to assist folks. Forgive me.”
Each declarations are tied to Rifaat’s religion. The shahada is crucial declaration and prayer recited by Muslims. Additionally they say it on their deathbeds to reaffirm their religion.
Muslims consider that the trail to heaven is thru their dad and mom and thru having lived a very good life and never harming anybody, and Rifaat needed to die understanding that his mom would forgive him in dying.
“Rifaat knew how deeply connected I used to be to him and the way I consistently nervous about him, so his final phrases have been asking for my forgiveness as a result of he knew dropping him would break my coronary heart,” Ghalia tells Al Jazeera, her eyes brimming with tears.
The boy who grew to become a paramedic
“My son was lovely and charming. I adored him. He was good-looking, beneficiant and giving with out limits,” Ghalia says.
Anwar remembers a toddler who all the time ran after ambulances, firetrucks, bulldozers, something with flashing emergency lights and a siren.
“(Rifaat) beloved emergency work, and when he completed highschool, he selected that path.”
Ghalia nervous when Rifaat selected emergency medical companies, becoming a member of the Palestine Pink Crescent Society in October 2023 when Israel’s struggle on Gaza started however relented when Rifaat confirmed how decided he was.
“He stated the identical factor to me then that he stated in his last moments: ‘Mama, I wish to assist folks.’”
All through Israel’s struggle, Ghalia consistently feared for Rifaat’s security, warning him and begging him to remain secure.
Each time he got here residence after a troublesome day, Rifaat would inform his mom what he had seen as he tried to rescue folks.
“I’d wash his blood-soaked uniform whereas he apologised and instructed me how he retrieved the stays of kids, ladies and men from beneath the rubble,” she stated.
“He was usually devastated, however he by no means gave up.”
Rifaat had dreamed of constant his research overseas, to be taught extra about emergency response and return to Gaza to carry his training residence to provide again to folks, Ghalia says.
“(He was additionally) our sole breadwinner as a consequence of his father’s sickness till he fully exhausted his checking account at some point.
Fifteen Palestine Pink Crescent and Civil Defence rescue staff have been killed by Israel and buried in a mass grave (File: Abdallah F Alattar/Anadolu)
“I broke down crying, however he reassured me and stated it was advantageous, that I shouldn’t be unhappy concerning the cash.”
There’s pleasure in Ghalia when she talks about her son, taking consolation in the truth that he sacrificed himself to serve and assist others.
“My son Rifaat’s message will dwell on, and I’ll increase my youthful sons to comply with in his footsteps and grow to be paramedics,” Ghalia says, referring to her sons Abdul Jawwad, 13, and Suleiman, 11.
“Rifaat left us a noble message and an eternal influence,” she provides.
“I all the time consider him every time I see the flowers and vegetation he planted round our tent.”
Anwar sits on the entrance to their tent, close to the flowers that Rifaat planted (Yousef al-Zanoun/Al Jazeera)
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