Fares Odeh

15 years old. Fares came from the Zaitoun quarter in Gaza. Before going to school, he would stand in front of a tank and throw stones at it. He would repeat this ritual on his way home from school. His family found out that he was participating in the clashes when they saw the now famous news photograph that depicts him throwing stones at a tank. His parents tried to dissuade him from going, saying he was too young, but he would respond, "I am a grown-up." He now had to sneak out of his house, his head wrapped in a Kouffieh. Fares was always the one closest to the tanks, and once a Palestinian police man tried to take him away to protect him, and was shot in the hand as he tried to shield the boy from the gunfire.

On November 8th, he left his house early and told his friends he was going to stone tanks again on his way to school. This time, the soldiers tried to chase him, but he ran away. They fired several bullets at him, and shot him in the neck, killing him instantly. After his death, his mother talked about Fares: "All my children are disabled and Fares was the only one without a disability. I dreamed that my son would grow up to help us raise his brothers and sisters. He'd asked me to throw him a birthday party, but he died thirteen days before his birthday…I'd already started preparing for the party…."



Sling