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.
Yaqeen and Mohamed, a humanitarian worker, often visited camps and makeshift shelters for displaced families. In each place they went, she tried to spread cheer and comfort to the children.
Hani Abu Rizq, a journalist and colleague of Yaqeen’s in the Ouena collective, described her work as “truly beautiful”.
“She had an entrepreneurial spirit and was always the first to do good. She loved helping others and bringing joy to children in displacement camps. She had a special touch, spreading hope and optimism among people despite the difficult circumstances,” he said.
“Her videos on social media received a great response from people because they were sincere and heartfelt. They conveyed the reality of Palestinian children in Gaza, who are suffering from all kinds of Israeli violations in this genocide that we have been subjected to for nearly two years.”
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.
In a post on Instagram on 15 May, she told her 103,000 followers: “Despite the war and the genocide, we came today to make the children happy.”
She wrote under the video: “Is there anything more beautiful than the smile of Gaza children.”
On 29 April, Yaqeen gave her followers some tips on how to cook with improvised methods when there was no gas.
“Did they cut off the gas? We made gas. We put wood here and a stove to let air in and make the fire burn more. We cook everything on it. Gaza: no to the impossible,” she wrote.
On 15 March, holding a bouquet of flowers, Yaqeen stepped into the tent where her brother was living and sang him Happy Birthday.
“Despite the pain and shock of Yaqeen’s killing, this is the true face of the occupation,” Rizq said. “Israel has killed a very large number of children during this genocide.”
The Palestinian photojournalist Amr Tabash wrote on Instagram, alongside a clip featuring glimpses of Yaqeen working on humanitarian projects: “Yaqeen was martyred, yet certainty remains in our hearts that the children of Gaza are the heartbeat of humanity and a reflection of global silence.”
Mohamad al-Kadri, a volunteer with Muslim Doctors for Humanity, said: “She was a child who carried in her heart a love for doing good, a spirit of initiative, and dedicated her young energy to planting hope in the hearts of those around her.”
The Israeli military has been contacted 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 international outrage.
The Gaza health ministry says nearly 54,000 Palestinians, including 16,503 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks across the territory.
On Thursday, health officials in the territory released a detailed breakdown of the numbers of children killed since Israel began its offensive in 2023 after the 7 October attacks by Hamas. According to their new data, 916 infants under one year old have been killed; 4,365 of those killed were between one and five years old; 6,101 were between six and 12 years old, and 5,124 were between 13 and 17.
