Humans of Gaza: 19-year-old TikToker who documented life amid war silenced forever

By Press TV Website Staff

He was full of ambition and driven by big dreams. Tech-savvy and eager to make his mark as a social media influencer, Mohammad Halimy was a young Palestinian determined to be the voice of his people.

Originally from Gaza City, the 19-year-old TikToker had been living in a makeshift refugee camp with his displaced family in the southern Gaza town of Al-Mawasi.

Halimy gained popularity on social media platforms Instagram and TikTok by creating videos that chronicled his personal struggles and stories of his friends and neighbors amid the genocidal war on Gaza that has now completed 327 days.

In recent months, his followers surged, surpassing 200,000 across Instagram and TikTok, as he posted daily updates about life amid daily massacres, deaths and destruction.

Halimy’s last Instagram post documented his life in the Al-Mawasi refugee camp, a small town on the southern coast of the besieged Palestinian territory, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge in recent months.

In a June 2024 interview with Fault magazine, the Palestinian teenager expressed his happiness with the response he was getting on his social media pages.

“The most joy I get now is from the comments on my videos and the support from people worldwide. Seeing people recognize the truth and view the situation from an unbiased perspective is very uplifting,” he was quoted as saying.

“After this genocide is over, I will pursue my life dreams, no matter how long it takes—even if it takes 50 years. I aim to achieve so much that everyone will remember my name.”

Earlier this month, Halimy was also featured in TIME magazine. He told the magazine that he initially began posting videos on TikTok as a way to cope with depression amid the ongoing genocidal war.

“I had nothing to do but keep thinking about what’s going on with my life and how it’s now all destroyed, all gone,” he said in the interview.

“I felt like I could report on my life and what’s happening in a different way, which you can see in my videos. I have a different perspective on life, and I wanted to share that with people.”

A few days ago, it was reported that the 19-year-old succumbed to his injuries after an Israeli airstrike targeted his tent in Al-Mawasi. The attack left him severely wounded, and he slipped into a coma before passing away.

The death toll from the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza has now surpassed 40,500, with most victims being children and women. Daily massacres continue to claim precious lives across the territory.

Many like Halimy who had big dreams have been silenced forever.

"It's painful. He was part of the Voice from Palestine team in Gaza and volunteered with youth encouraging reading, We remember him as immersed in books, a great dreamer, and a kind young man. Goodbye, Mohammed," wrote one of his friends on social media.

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