By Kouthar Sambo
Amid the sacred month of Ramadaan, massacres continue to afflict Palestinians in the besieged Gaza strip. The latest tragedy occurred at the Al Shifa Hospital where thousands of Palestinians took shelter resulting in almost 30,000 citizens being trapped inside the facility, as reported by the Health Ministry of Gaza.
VOC News has taken the steps to speak to an activist and ordinary citizens on the ground in Gaza to give us the unfiltered truth of their situation.
Real-life accounts
A Gazan Pharmacist, Rafat Jawaad, said the Israeli forces are bombing 24/7 and that he does not know if he and his loved ones will be next. He says each family has one or two martyrs, and if they are not martyred, they are severely injured or lost a limb.
Jawaad went on to talk about the recent Al Shifa attack brought on by the Israeli occupation forces.
“The Israeli forces are bombing day and night, 24 hours the drones are covering the sky. Last week, the Israeli soldiers ordered all people to evacuate at Al Shifa hospital, 15 km from me, and they were ordered to journey south by foot while they were fasting either insufficient or no food for Iftar (fast-breaking),” explained Jawaad.
He further explained that a nation that was under occupation for 75 years can no longer be fearful as children as young as six-years-old can distinguish the type of missiles in the sky.
“A child of six can classify the type of missile, whether it is a tank, bomb, or drone missile, and he will not run away. He will run into the streets and say Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest),” proclaimed Jawaaad.
Palestinian resilience
Jawaad attributed the resilience of Palestinians to their faith in the Almighty Allah (SWT) and that whether or not humanitarian aid enters Gaza, their affairs and lives lie in the hands of the Almighty.
“We will not bow down to any state, but we only bow down to Allah (SWT) during our salah (prayer time).”
Palestinians are stripped of their dignity
Dr Umer Abu Hamad from Rafah, the southern part of the Gaza strip, said the Israeli aggression is known to be the worst in Rafah at the moment. He adds that Palestinians pride themselves when it comes to Ramadan and Eid preparations, but this year, they have nothing.
He further outlined the difficulty of gaining access to simple items which was once easy to obtain and how the Israeli forces had also targeted dozens of his loved ones.
“We put in a lot of preparation for this Ramadaan, but gaining access to basic supplies has been tough. Everything is so expensive because it has become so scarce, and everyone has lost their jobs due to the current circumstance,” expressed Hamad.
Meanwhile, the President of the National Association of Human Rights Defenders on al Khalil and Ibrahimi Mosque, Badee Dwaik, who is based in Al Khalil, Hebron, described this Radamaan as “the most difficult time for Palestine” since Palestinians are fighting plenty of wars, along with famine.
“The Israeli forces are targeting unarmed Palestinians every day, and they are assaulting and arresting people every day. I am living in fear constantly for my children because the Israeli forces could shoot or arrest them anytime. I even fear when my children go to Taraweegh because the soldiers invade the Mosque while Palestinians pray,” detailed Dwaik.
Palestinians expresses gratitude
Furthermore, he added that Palestinians are angry and upset that the world is allowing the Israeli aggression to continue. Despite this, said Dwaik, Palestinians remain grateful for those showing their support globally and specifically expressed gratitude to South Africa for its step in taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war crimes.
“We really appreciate all the support that South Africa has shown us, and the steps South Africa has taken to expose the truth of Israeli evil,” stressed Dwaik.
Photo: X/QudsNen
