Her life was one of war but Yaqeen Hammad somehow found a reason to smile. The 11-year-old was Gaza’s youngest influencer, whose bright smile reached tens of thousands, including other children, while she offered practical survival tips for daily life under bombardment, such as advice on how to cook with improvised methods when there was no gas.
In one social media post, Yaqeen wrote: “I try to bring a bit of joy to the other children so that they can forget the war.”
On Friday night, she was killed after a series of heavy Israeli airstrikes hit the house where she lived with her family, in Al-Baraka area of Deir al-Bala, in central Gaza. Her body, torn apart by the bombing, was recovered from beneath the rubble.
When news of Yaqeen’s death spread online on Monday, there was an outpouring of messages of grief and tributes from activists, followers and journalists.
“Instead of being at school and enjoying her childhood, one of her followers wrote on X, she was active on Instagram and participating in campaigns to help others in Gaza. No words. Absolutely no words.”
Mahmoud Bassam, a photojournalist in Gaza, said: “Her body may be gone, but her impact remains a beacon of humanity.”
Yaqeen and her older brother, Mohamed Hammad, delivered food, toys and clothing to displaced families, Al Jazeera has reported. She played an active role in the Ouena collective, a Gaza-based non-profit organisation dedicated to humanitarian relief.
Together with her brother Mohamed, a humanitarian worker, they distributed aid – food, toys and clothing. They often visited camps and makeshift shelters for displaced families. In each place they went, she tried to spread cheer and comfort to the children.
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In one of her final posts, she wrote: “Today was a day of joy for Gaza’s orphans – we were giving them new clothes to bring a little happiness.”
She refused to give in to the war, dancing, smiling and handing out ice-creams and praying with other children..
The Guardian has contacted the Israeli military for comment.
Israel has intensified its air campaign in Gaza in recent days. Its airstrikes killed at least 52 people on Monday, including 31 in a school turned shelter that was struck as people slept, igniting their belongings, according to local health officials.
On Sunday, Israeli attacks killed at least 38 people, health officials said, bringing the death toll to more than 100 over the weekend.
Yaqeen died during the same series of strikes across the territory that killed nine of a paediatrician’s 10 children sparking outrage within the international community.
The Gaza health ministry says nearly 54,000 Palestinians, including 16,503 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks across the territory.
