Letters from Gaza – ‘Alhamdulillah. We Are Not Okay’

Israel continued to transportation retired massacres successful Gaza. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

By Ramzy Baroud  

Over 14 months of relentless warfare successful Gaza, the voices of survivors, filled with pain, resilience, and faith, overgarment a vivid representation of quality endurance amidst unimaginable loss.

Over the past 14 months, I person received hundreds of messages from household members passim the Gaza Strip. The quality of the messages often conveyed a consciousness of urgency and panic but, astatine times, contentment successful God’s will.

Some of those who wrote these notes person been killed successful Israeli strikes, similar my sister, Dr. Soma Baroud; others mislaid children, siblings, cousins, neighbors, and friends.

It whitethorn look unusual that nary of those who communicated with maine passim the warfare person ever questioned their faith, and person often, if not always, begun their messages by checking connected me, and my children.

The samples of the messages beneath person been edited for magnitude and clarity.

Ibrahim:

“How are you? We are each fine. We had to permission Shati (refugee camp). The Israelis arrived astatine the campy yesterday. Our full vicinity has been destroyed. Our home, too, was destroyed. Alhamdulillah – praise beryllium to God.”

Soma:

“How are you? And however are the kids? Times similar these marque maine recognize that nary worldly wealthiness matters. Only the emotion of one’s household and assemblage matters most. We had to fly Qarara (east of Khan Yunis, successful confederate Gaza); the boys fled further south, and I americium successful Deir Al-Balah with my girl and grandson. I don’t cognize what happened to H (her husband). The service bulldozers began destroying the vicinity portion we were inactive inside. We ran distant successful the mediate of the night.”

A’esha:

“E (her husband) was killed connected the archetypal time of the invasion. A (her son) disappeared aft helium learned that his begetter was killed. He said helium wanted to avenge his father. I americium worried. I don’t cognize what to do.”

Salwa:

“Cousin, A’esha’s son, A, was killed (he was 19). He was warring successful Jabaliya. She is determination successful Rafah with her surviving kids. Her newborn has a congenital bosom defect. Do you cognize of immoderate foundation that tin assistance her? She lives successful a structure without nutrient oregon water.”

Ibrahim:

“We escaped the Al-Shifa (hospital successful Gaza City). Then, the Israelis invaded. They took each the men extracurricular and had america basal successful line. They spared me. I don’t cognize why. All the men were executed. Nasser’s lad (his nephew) was killed successful beforehand of me. We are inactive trapped astatine Al-Shifa.”

Soma:

“My hubby was killed, brother. That mediocre psyche had nary chance. His unwellness had prevented him from moving distant connected time. Someone says helium saw his assemblage aft helium was changeable by a drone. He was deed successful the head. But erstwhile we went backmost to the place, we couldn’t find him. There was a monolithic heap of rubble and garbage. We dug and dug time and night, to nary avail. I conscionable privation to springiness him a due burial.”

A’esha:

“Did Salwa connection you astir the charity? My babe is dying. I named her Wafa’ aft her auntie (26, who was killed successful the archetypal fewer weeks of the warfare on with her lad Zaid, 5 and husband, Mohammed successful Gaza City). She tin hardly breathe. Some radical are allowed to permission Gaza done Rafah. They accidental the UAE accepts immoderate of the wounded and sick. Please assistance me.”

Walid:

“Have you heard thing astir the ceasefire? We ran distant backmost to the halfway of Gaza, aft we were forced to fly south. They (the Israeli army) said ‘Go to the harmless zones.’ Then, they killed the displaced wrong their tents. I saw my neighbors burning alive. I americium excessively aged (he is 75). Please archer maine that the warfare is astir to end.”

Ibrahim:

“How are you, cousin? I conscionable wanted to archer you that Nasser (his brother) was killed. He was lasting successful enactment waiting for a loaf of breadstuff successful Zeitoun. After the martyrdom of his sons, helium became liable for the grandchildren arsenic well. They (the Israelis) bombed the assemblage arsenic they waited for the assistance trucks. The detonation severed his arm. He bled to death.”

Soma:

“I was successful Nuseirat erstwhile the massacre happened. (278 radical were killed and implicit 800 wounded connected June 8). I walked done the country not knowing the grade of the bloodbath. I was connected my mode backmost to Qarara to cheque connected the kids. Bodies were strewn everywhere. They were mostly mutilated, though immoderate were inactive groaning, desperately grasping onto life. I wanted to help, but I could bash nothing. I kept walking from 1 assemblage to the next, holding hands and looking into dying eyes. I worked successful the exigency country for galore years. But astatine that infinitesimal I felt helpless. I felt that I, too, had died connected that day.”

(Dr. Soma was killed successful an Israeli onslaught targeting her car connected October 9. She had conscionable near the hospital, wherever she worked, to cheque connected her sons.) 

Ibrahim:

“My condolences, cousin, for the martyrdom of your sister. She volition ever stay the pridefulness of our family.”

A’esha:

“Wafa’ died this greeting successful our structure successful Al-Musawi. There was nary medicine. No food. No milk. My lone solace is that she is present an angel successful Paradise.”

Walid:

“How are you, cousin? We are okay. We mislaid everything, but we are inactive standing. Alhamdulillah. Do you cognize erstwhile the warfare volition beryllium over? Maybe different week, oregon two? I americium conscionable excessively old, and so, truthful tired.”

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