Photos capture a mourning Palestinian father in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike

Published October 11th, 2015 - 10:11 GMT
Palestinian father Yehya Hassan mourns while holding the body of his daughter, Rahaf, during a funeral for the toddler and her pregnant mother on Oct. 11, 2015, at the al-Nusairat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. (AFP/Mahmud Hams)
Palestinian father Yehya Hassan mourns while holding the body of his daughter, Rahaf, during a funeral for the toddler and her pregnant mother on Oct. 11, 2015, at the al-Nusairat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. (AFP/Mahmud Hams)

Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed three Palestinian civilians: a 13-year-old girl, a 30-year-old pregnant mother and her 2-year-old daughter. 

The Israeli military said the air raids were in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip overnight, though there were no reports of casualties on the Israeli side. The army says the airstrikes targeted Hamas' weapons manufacturing facilities, but the attacks killed three civilians when they struck a home.

For the father in the photos, Yehya Hassan, the airstrike destroyed his household. Relatives held a funeral Sunday for his wife, Noor Hassan, and the toddler, Rahaf. 

Tensions been Israelis and Palestinians have been escalating — from Palestinian stabbings, to Israeli violations on al-Aqsa Mosque. The aftermath is often hard to measure, but there's nothing like a few photos to remind us the cost of conflict. 

By Hayat Norimine