Medo Halimy, a 19-year-old Palestinian who documented his “Tent Life” on TikTok to over 200,000 followers, died after a car he was standing near was hit by an Israeli air strike, the Associated Press reports.
The Israeli military has denied knowledge of the airstrike that killed Halimy and has not commented further on the matter.
A woman claiming to be Halimy’s aunt said on Instagram, “A car next to him was bombed, and shrapnel entered his head, and he was martyred.”
The airstrike occurred near an internet cafe (a tent with WiFi) where Halimy met his friend and frequent collaborator Talal Murad,” according to AP.
Murad — who made two videos with Halimy for the Gazan Project — told the AP there was a flash followed by “an explosion of white heat and sprayed earth.” Murad soon realized the nearby car was on fire, and Halimy was bleeding from his head. An ambulance arrived 10 minutes later, and Halimy was pronounced dead hours after the strike.
@medohalimy Gotta enjoy life no matter what
♬ original sound – Medo Halimy
Halimy had not updated his TikTok account since 2023 when he posted his first “Tent Life” video on May 20 of this year. The video was published after he, his parents and his four siblings moved to Muwasi, a city that was a designated safe zone for Palestinians. The family had first left their home in Gaza City and moved to Khan Younis before they arrived in Muwasi.
“If you wonder how living in a tent is actually like, come with me to show you how I spend my day,” Halimy began his first video. He then shared footage of clothes being washed in buckets, his brother looking for internet connection, and spending time with friends while they built a “15 minute hangout tent.”
The group of teens then started a game of Monopoly that was interrupted by incoming missiles. “We proceeded to play anyway,” Hamily explained.
Hamily continued to post videos in the months that followed. On June 3, he shared footage from a wedding in his community, and on June 22 he began a series of videos about planting seeds “every day until this genocide is over.”
His videos attracted more than 2 million viewers on the platform.
@medohalimy Back on the “tent life” videos!
♬ original sound – Medo Halimy
Hamily’s final video was shared on Sunday and has been viewed over 3 million times. Hamily lamented the intense heat, charged his phone and laptop at the internet tent, and started plans on his “new secret project” before he got a haircut.
Hamily’s videos inspired the people who watched them. As one person wrote in a comment on his last Instagram post, “I’m going to plant something to honor him today ❤️ 🌱 I hope others join me.”
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