Victorian father of three Oliver, 32, drowned while assisting to rescue the two children, aged 10 and 12, who were caught in a rip at Wollongong's City Beach.
The Hammad family, who migrated from Gaza to Australia in 2002, expressed deep grief and sorrow that the father of three lost his life while saving their two children Ahmed and Yazan and their extended family in Gaza have also felt the loss.
On Sunday September 17, the Palestinian Hammad family held a commemoration ceremony in the Unknown Soldier Square in Gaza to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of Shaun Oliver.
Family spokesperson Mr Issam Hammad, said in an interview with Aljazeera that the family wanted to show their gratitude and appreciation for what Shaun has done.
"This man has sacrificed his life for the children of our family, it is the least we can do for his respected family, to tell them that we are grateful for his wonderful action," said Hammad. "And that we stand next to them in their loss, and we extend our condolences to them."
Big banners with Shaun Oliver’s pictures and name were displayed in the memorial that was attended by about a hundred people.
A memorial is held in Palestine for Australian man Shaun Oliver after he died while saving the life of children of a Palestinian-Australian family in Wollongong Source: Supplied
Speeches were delivered in both Arabic and English, highlighting the heroic act of Oliver.
Aljazeera reported that the family, supported by civil society organisations, will approach Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to grant Shaun Oliver the Palestinian Bravery Award, and the City Council to name a main street or a roundabout after his name.
The commemoration ceremony in Gaza was broadcast live on Aljazeera:
The Australian ambassador was invited to the event but could not attend. Aljazeera reported that an Australian official will visit Gaza at a later stage where he will be given an honorary, Commemorative plate with Shaun’s name to be sent to his family in Melbourne.
Also as a gesture of gratitude and appreciation, the Head of the General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Mr Izzat Abdulhadi sent a letter to Shaun Oliver’s wife Carla immediately after the tragedy.
People in Gaza hold a commemorative plate of Shaun Oliver at a memorial for man who died saving the life of two boys from a Palestinian family in Wollongong Source: Supplied
The letter expressed condolences on behalf of the Embassy of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian people.
The letter states: “I know that words cannot alleviate your suffering or bring back your husband, but I feel the heroic act that led to his passing must be acknowledged."
"The children whose lives your husband saved were Palestinians. Although I do not believe that it would have made a difference what ethnicity the children were for your husband to save them, I must thank your husband on behalf of the Palestinian people and praise him as the hero he was."
Back in Wollongong, Islam Hammad, the mother of the children who were struggling in the water, says that the family did not plan to go swimming in the water that day, it was just an outing on Sunday afternoon.
Letter from the General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Source: Facebook - General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
She says she did not even take changing clothes for the kids, but that they went to paddle their feet in the water and were swept away suddenly by high waves.
Mrs Hammad, who was watching the tragedy unfolding in front of her eyes described how Shaun jumped into the water to try and save her kids.
She tells SBS, "he saved Ahmed and gave him to someone else to take outside the water, and went back, my other son Yazan was taken too far into the sea, no one was able to reach him."
"As soon as I saw the man disappeared I started to scream, and called the police asking for help."
"When he rushed into the water for the rescue, he didn’t think of anyone but the child who was drowning in the water."
Despite the ordeal that the Hammad family went through on Sunday September 10, some social media commentators blamed the family for going to the beach on that day.
There were reports that the beach was closed due to weather conditions.
Mrs Hammad says the backlash of blame has added to their shock and pain.
She says "it was the first time we went there, we usually go and stay in the park, and we did not see any sign [advising not to swim]."
She said had she known about the risks she wouldn’t have exposed her children or anyone else to danger.
In an interview with SBS Arabic24 Oliver's uncle Ralph Silver refutes the comments on social media which blamed the Hammad family for his nephew’s death.
A commemorative plate for Shaun Oliver Source: Supplied
Silver says, "it’s a very emotional time, people get caught up in emotions.
"And people talk and have opinions but it doesn’t mean that’s right - they don’t know the facts."
"And the facts are, the Hammad family went with their kids to the beach, they didn’t plan for this to happen, they didn’t want it to happen."
He says, "It’s alright to say the beach was closed and there are signs, but unless you actually walk past the sign and know these things, you’re not to know."
Silver explains that his family once had a similar experience at that same beach.
"My mum even said she was at that beach, many years ago, and her and my aunty, they didn’t realise the beach was closed.
"They were paddling their feet in the water, until someone came and said the beach is closed because of dangerous rips and things like that.
"Well - that could’ve happened to them."
"The Hammad family went with their kids to the beach, they didn’t plan for this to happen, they didn’t want it to happen. It’s alright to say the beach was closed and there are signs, but unless you actually walk past the sign and know these things, you’re not to know."
Mr Silver called for calm: "I think people need to stay calm, focused, and understand that there’s someone who sacrifices their life to save others, and that’s all it is, and Shaun wouldn’t have thought twice."
"It is no one’s fault, it is a terrible tragedy, but there’s some good out of it, and everybody is getting around the family, which is amazing."
Mrs Islam Hammad said that they did their best to express their sorrow to Shaun’s family, “we got in touch with his sister, with his wife, and we hope they understand the situation."
Mr Silver, said Shaun’s family is devastated, but that “everyone is trying to be brave and strong."
"But when someone who meant so much to you, the only consolation is that he’s died a hero."
"And you like to think it gives faith in human beings and Australians that someone is allowing to risk their lives to help other Australians."
"That’s the only solace, that we can get out of this."
"This is like predetermined, whatever religion you believe in, he was meant to be there...if he had come home Friday, who knows what may have happened to those poor kids that were caught in the rip."
Silver also says that these events in one’s life are "predetermined."
"If it wasn’t for Shaun, I don’t know what may have happened to those kids up there," he says. "It was lucky that Shaun was there, and he’s a capable swimmer and a fit and healthy person."
"If it was someone older or not quite capable, it could’ve been a different outcome, but thank God he’s helped save and rescue some kids up there, and that’s the only good thing that’s come out of it."
"This is like predetermined, whatever religion you believe in, he was meant to be there, he should’ve come home [to Victoria] Friday, but the job he was doing up there [in NSW] got delayed, and he was staying until Monday - but if he had come home Friday, who knows what may have happened to those poor kids that were caught in the rip."
"He is an amazing human being, we are extremely shocked, we did not expect or plan to be the cause of drowning of a human being, or cause any harm to anyone."
Mrs Hammad expressed her utmost and sincere sorrow for Shaun’s family, because as she says, "when he rushed into the water for the rescue, he didn’t think of anyone but the child who was drowning in the water."
"He is an amazing human being, we are extremely shocked, we did not expect or plan to be the cause of drowning of a human being, or cause any harm to anyone."
The family's community in Melbourne is still shocked by the tragedy and people are donating to an online fundraiser for Shaun’s family. His wife Carla does not work and they have three children under the age of seven as Mr Silver says.
"It’s just been the outpouring of grief from everywhere," he says
"That’s one thing that has helped the family get through - is the amount of communications that we’ve had, from the Islamic leaders and the like, has just been amazing."
"That’s one thing that has helped the family get through - is the amount of communications that we’ve had, from the Islamic leaders and the like, has just been amazing."
Mr Silver explains, "We’ve had letters from the ambassador in Palestine and other politicians from overseas just to show the gratitude, thankful of what Shaun did.
"I think that this is an amazing thing, for people to get around together to know and recognise Shaun as a hero, and the family is so grateful for the donations from the Muslim community, and all the good wishes and thank yous, that had come through, it’s been just amazing."
Shaun Oliver’s funeral will be held in Melbourne this week.
