On January 8, 2026, 11-year-old Palestinian girl Hamsa Houso (also reported as Hamsa Hawso) was killed by Israeli fire in the al-Faluja area of the Jabalia refugee camp, in northern Gaza. According to reports, Hamsa was inside her family’s apartment when she was struck—described in some accounts as being hit by shelling and shrapnel, while others state she was shot directly by Israeli forces operating in the area.

Her uncle Aouni said he heard screams as Israeli troops combed the neighborhood and later found Hamsa lying on the floor of the apartment: "“We were sleeping, and suddenly, around 5 a.m., there were bangs—loud bangs and shells. I live upstairs, and there was screaming. We ran downstairs and they said the girl had been injured. We went to see her and she was covered in blood. It took half an hour for an ambulance to arrive. When they finally reached the hospital, Hamsa had died.". The family had believed the al-Faluja neighborhood was relatively safe, having returned home after a ceasefire came into effect in October 2025.

Hamsa was transported to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where she was pronounced dead. Eyewitnesses reported heavy Israeli fire coming from positions east of the Jabalia camp at the time of the incident.

The attack occurred in the al-Faluja neighborhood of the Jabalia refugee camp, which her family believed was a safe zone following their return after a ceasefire began in October 2025.

Name of the martyr:

Hamsa Nidal Houso, 11

The body of 11-year-old Palestinian girl Hamsa Hosou, killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia, is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Thursday. Credit: Jehad Alshrafi/AP