Jihan Swelem-‘Aweidah was a 31-year-old mother of two from Jabalia refugee camp. Before the military assault on Gaza began in October 2023, she lived in an apartment with her husband, Muhammad, and two children – Mu’in (4) and ‘Imad (2).
A few days after the war began, Jihan and her family decided to evacuate their home and move in to her husband’s aunt’s house in another part of the camp, further away from the bombing. A few days later, Jihan’s husband’s parents and siblings also came to live there, after their own home was bombed. Altogether, about 36 people were living in the five-storey house.
Just after dinner on 16 November 2023, the house was hit by a bomb and destroyed. Jihan suffered a head injury and an ambulance took her to the Indonesian Hospital, where her injury was stitched up. Twenty-two people were killed in the bombing, including Jihan’s youngest son ‘Imad. Mu’in survived for four days in intensive care, but died from internal injuries on 20 November.
A few weeks later, Jihan’s husband was arrested and detained for 40 days by Israel Defence Forces. During this time, Jihan went to live with her parents and brother in the north of Gaza. After Muhammad was released from detention, she was unable to get back to the south to be reunited with him, as it was too dangerous to travel.
Around 8 months later, on 10 October 2024, Jihan was preparing food at her brother’s house in Jabalya Refugee Camp. She was killed when a bomb hit a nearby house.