Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha has publicly announced his discovery of the identity and tragic circumstances surrounding a child he previously depicted in a poem, a revelation that has profoundly impacted him. The child, identified as two-year-old Layan al-Majdalwi, was reportedly killed by a sniper alongside her father in the Gaza Strip. Abu Toha shared his emotional journey of uncovering these details on social media.
"I’m devastated today to have learned more about a child I once wrote about in a poem published in the NYRB in March 2024," Abu Toha stated in his tweet. He added, "When I wrote that poem, I didn’t know her name... Now I do." The poet expressed that he learned she was killed "alongside her father by an Israeli sniper."
Abu Toha's poem, which appeared in The New York Review of Books in March 2024 and is slated for inclusion in his forthcoming book, "Forest of Noise," initially explored the plight of unnamed child victims in conflict zones. He explained that his understanding of Layan al-Majdalwi's fate came from reviewing video footage and an investigative report by BBC Arabic. Layan was confirmed to be two years old at the time of her death.
A BBC investigation, published on January 10, 2024, detailed the death of two-year-old Layan al-Majdalawi, who was killed by a sniper on December 10, 2023, while being carried by her father in the Gaza Strip. The report, which included testimonies from family members and medical staff, examined the incident as the family attempted to flee south from Gaza City. While the BBC report implies the sniper's affiliation through the context of the conflict, Abu Toha's tweet explicitly attributes the killing to an "Israeli sniper."
Mosab Abu Toha is a distinguished Palestinian poet and librarian from Gaza, widely recognized for his poignant literary contributions that illuminate the human toll of the ongoing conflict. His acclaimed collection, "Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear," earned an American Book Award. His upcoming work, "Forest of Noise," is anticipated to further delve into themes of life, loss, and resilience amidst the challenging realities in Gaza.
