وُلد علي عبّاس إسماعيل قبل ثلاثة وثلاثين عاماً في منطقة الخندق الغميق في بيروت وترعرع فيها حيث دخل إلى مدرسة الزّهراء حتى الصّف الرّابع الابتدائي.

ترك المدرسة في عمر الحادية عشر، ليعمل مع جدّه وخاله في إصلاح الإطارات، ثم ما انفكّ ينتقل من عمل إلى آخر إلى أن استقرّ في مكتب معاينة السّيارات، كما يعمل سائقا لنقل الكونتينرات في مرفأ بيروت منذ نحو سبع سنوات."

Ali’s dream was not impossible. He wanted to build his own home, and start his own business. He worked three different jobs to make this dream happen, to prove himself to his family and make them proud.

His father speaks of him saying: “Ali was the best of my children, he was generous and brave, and devoted to his family.” Ali was always there for everyone who needed support.

On August 4, Ali’s shift was at 2:00 PM. He arrived on time, and when the fire erupted before the horrific explosion, at around 5:15, he sent live footage to his friends through social media applications. Soon after, a huge earth shattering blast hit Beirut. His family’s home shook, as the Khandak region is fairly close to the port. They called him but his phone was off. An hour later, there was still no news about Ali. His brothers and friends went onsite to look for him but they were not allowed entry to the port.  They looked in hospitals around Beirut but could not find him.

At 10:00 PM they received a video of Ali wounded at Hotel Dieu Hospital, they went to check, but it wasn’t him. On the third day they received a call telling them a dead body identified as Ali Abbas Ismail arrived to Al Zahraa Hospital. They went to the hospital and it was indeed his corpse.

عندما كان يصوّر الحريق لم يكن علي يعلم أن الانفجار يخطفه مع نحو مئتي بريء .

His family received their son’s dead body to say their goodbyes and bury him in his home town Jibchit – Nabatiye.