Ahmad Mansi: Father who tried to distract his children during Gaza bombings in viral video dies two days later
In what comes as a heartbreaking update from the Gaza Strip, a father who recently filmed a video on trying to keep his young children calm during the ongoing Israeli bombardment became another victim of the current conflict dying just days later. People online are mourning the loss of Ahmad Mansi who tried to distract his children from the Israeli bombings with a toy.
In the video that is posted on YouTube, one can see Ahmad Mansi try to cajole his three children with toys and sweet talks while they are scared and running helter-skelter as the bombardment continues. The May 12, video shows Mansi going to a local market to buy toys for his three children, return and just as they begin playing with them, airstrikes commence. The video is painful documentation of the life that commoners are living in the midst of the conflict and just how difficult it is to cope.
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In a translated video posted to Twitter, Mansi introduces his children and tells the viewer how they are "sad" because of the attacks. “Hala is sad because of the shellings, so today I’m trying to please her,” reads an English translation of Mansi’s on-screen conversation with his youngest daughter. “Today I’m going to buy you some toys, God willing,” he says. He then goes to visit the market in hopes of buying a game that can manage to distract them from the loud noises of the planes.
Upon returning from the market, the video shows the children playing with the toy as it chimes, but just then, a jet flies nearby. "I hear a sound of an airplane. Don't worry OK?" Mansi can be heard telling his kids. "Keep playing."
As the horrifying sound of the jet grows, the children hide in the corners of the couch, crouching in fear, and clutching throw pillows. Their father tries to reassure them, hugging them, telling them it'll be okay.
Moments later, Mansi ends the video by saying, "we can't continue." He is holding one of his daughters, presumably the younger one. In the background, the loud noises of jets can be heard.
The roughly 10-minute long video can be seen here but please be warned, it is deeply upsetting.
According to the latest reports, two days after the video was posted, Mansi died, killed alongside his brother Yousef. The news was shared on Twitter by a Palestinian medical student who wrote, "2 d ago, Ahmad Mansi from Gaza was recording a YT vid w/ his children trying to distract them from the non-stopping shelling Today Ahmad was killed by an Israeli shelling These 3 angels lost their father on Eid, n will continue to struggle alone w/o their refuge #GazaUnderAttack"
2 d ago, Ahmad Mansi from Gaza was recording a YT vid w/ his children trying to distract them from the non-stopping shelling
— 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐝 𓂆 #SaveSheikhJarrah (@mahcknz) May 15, 2021
Today Ahmad was killed by an Israeli shelling
These 3 angels lost their father on Eid, n will continue to struggle alone w/o their refuge#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/TDCLegCAZ1
According to a report from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, the deaths of a pair of brothers with the same names, killed on May 14, 2021, were recorded.
The video has, since being published on May 12, been viewed 320,521 times at the time of writing this article, with hundreds of comments in solidarity. Many users came to watch the video after discovering the latest news of the father's death.
People shared words of solidarity and prayers for the young children and their father. "I don't even know how these innocent kids will live without their loving father. my heart is broken into pieces may his soul rest in peace," one user commented. "This breaks my heart. He was such a good father and will be protecting his beautiful daughters from the heavens," another user lamented. Another user said, "I couldn't finish this video without crying [sad emoji] The kids already look so traumatized.. Please be safe We support [Palestine flag] from Korea."