Sara Khreis and her family spent weeks agonizing over whether to flee as Israeli troops moved into Gaza City’s al-Rimal neighborhood. After two nights of bombardment so intense they thought their home might fall apart, they realized they had to go.
“We woke up on November 12, the day that I will never forget my whole life,” Sara, 18, told CNN in a recent interview, holding back tears.
More than 20 people, relatives and neighbors, had holed up at their house as the war worsened. Sara’s 57-year-old mother, Hala, cooked a quick breakfast and made time to pray. Then they heard their neighbors screaming that an evacuation route had been organized: “Come on, get out!”
They threw on their shoes and rushed out of the door, joining a wave of others waving white flags – a universal symbol of surrender.
A few paces ahead of the others, Hala was walking with her grandson, Tayem, then 4, holding hands as they navigated a street littered with debris, a white flag in his other hand. Seconds later, a shot rang out and Hala slumped to the ground.
The clip of Hala’s killing is one of a growing number that show unarmed civilians holding white flags being shot dead in Gaza. CNN has examined four cases, including that of Hala Khreis. CNN made multiple attempts to sit down with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to share its findings. They told CNN on Friday that “the incident is being examined.”
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