Forced to flee Gaza City: 'It feels like the countdown has begun to our annihilation'
An Israeli strike on the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza last week. For the past month, Israel has carried out a military operation to take over Gaza City. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
The situation in Gaza City has deteriorated dramatically since I wrote for this paper a few weeks ago. It feels like I have been living through a nightmare in broad daylight.
For the past month, Israel has carried out a military operation to take over Gaza City. Earlier this week, ground troops began their advance to occupy the city.
My family stayed in Gaza City for as long as we could. The last few nights we spent in Gaza City were horrifying. The day before we evacuated, the Israeli military started levelling houses and high-rise buildings in our area, while people were still inside.
To try and get us to flee our area, a quadcopter drone opened fire on our house. We had to lie on the ground for an hour until it left our neighbourhood. I had been living with my parents and siblings in what was left of our badly damaged home.
The constant bombardment caused the walls of the room we were all living in to fall down. We called each other's names to see who was still alive. At first I thought I was the only one who had survived. It was only for seconds but it felt like a year.
Our home was once full of our laughter, and the place we celebrated birthday parties and our achievements. As I left, I hugged the walls and kissed the door. When we finally left our neighbourhood we all started crying. We knew that if we ever had the chance to return to Gaza City, we would only find dust.
Leaving my home behind was the most heart-wrenching feeling in the world. I don't have the words to convey the pain of being displaced. We feel like zombies, walking around without a soul. We didn't have the luxury to choose whether to stay or not. It was either to leave or die.
Just before we left, my 84-year-old grandmother passed away. She was my best friend. My grandmother did not die from old age. She died due to a lack of medication and lack of proper food which left her malnourished.
We couldn't get the wet wipes and adult diapers that she needed in the market, so she developed severe sores. The medications to help treat her underlying health conditions were not available.
Whenever we brought her to the hospital, they told us that there weren't enough beds available. They were crammed with the sick and the injured despite not being fully operational due to damage sustained from airstrikes.
Before my grandmother died, she was craving tasting a banana again. I’d tell her that I would bring her a truckload of bananas when Israel finally opened up the crossings to let in the aid and goods Gaza desperately needs.
My grandmother would smile whenever I made this promise. But she just couldn't hold on and endure the pain any longer.
A normal family like mine cannot afford to buy food from the market. Prices are 10 to 20 times more expensive than before the war. Like everyone else we rely on charity kitchens for the food we eat each day but the amount we get from them is not enough.
I only eat one small bowl of lentil soup a day. We’ve forgotten what it feels like to have a full stomach. I’ve told my brothers and sisters not to show our parents that we are hungry because we know that out of love for us they will give away their portion.
But they are old and need that food more than we do. We are the younger ones, so we need to hide our pain to protect our parents from the famine and keep them alive.
Hunger is the worst feeling anyone can imagine. I have lost count of the number of nights I was unable to sleep because the feeling of hunger has kept me awake.
The hours I spent squirming in my bed and walking around my room just trying to distract myself by drinking water to fill my empty belly. I hate it, but I try to not show my feelings to my parents so that they don't feel sad.
I don't know what is left that can happen to Palestinian people to convince the world to act. The world can see what is going on. It feels like the world has settled down with a tub of popcorn to watch the final episode of the Palestinian people.
It feels like the countdown has begun to our annihilation. All I can ask is for everyone to push as hard as they can on their politicians to finally act before it's too late.
- Reham Mahdi Al Jarrah is communications co-ordinator with Christian Aid’s partner in Gaza, Women’s Affairs Centre (WAC). Forced again to flee from Gaza City, she is writing from Central Gaza. To donate to Christian Aid’s appeal as they continue to support local partners in Gaza, visit their website
