After a night of air raids, Palestinians in Gaza fear escalation
Gaza City, Gaza – When the first Israeli airstrike took place Thursday night near the Al Dorra children’s hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip, Samar Alwan rushed to the bed of her two-year-old daughter to pick her up.
Moments later, the glass of the window above the bed broke and fell against the bed.
“My daughter miraculously survived,” 23-year-old Alwan, who has been in hospital for two days with her fever-ridden daughter, told Al Jazeera.
“Last night we slept in the ward. Suddenly we woke up to the sound of the terrifying air raids.
“They were moments of tremendous fear, the glass fell. I immediately hurried to get my child out of her bed. Moments later, the window fell on her bed. I was about to lose her.”
The hospital in the eastern Gaza Strip was partially damaged when Israeli planes bombed open land next to it early Friday.
The attacks resulted in extensive damage to nearby homes and buildings. Israel said it hit weapons production sites and underground tunnels linked to the Hamas group, which controls the area.
Alwan said the bombing could have caused catastrophe in the hospital.
“All the sick children were scared and screaming, there was a state of tension among all the mothers and the medical staff because of the intensity of the bombings,” she added.
“Glass from the windows fell and shattered. There were some panes of glass that fell into the beds of sick children just after they were picked up. This could have caused a catastrophe and a large number of injuries.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry denounced the Israeli airstrikes “which caused partial damage to the hospital in Gaza City and horrified the children”.
“This is not the first time health facilities have been targeted, and it is unacceptable,” the ministry said in a statement.
“These attacks not only endanger the lives of patients, but also create a sense of fear among healthcare workers, patients and their families.”
The MOH urged the international community to take action against these attacks on health facilities and to take measures to protect healthcare facilities and personnel in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Alwan said her daughter’s condition worsened and her fever increased after the bombing.
“Several children here spent the night shivering with fear. Our children are poor in Gaza, they don’t enjoy Ramadan or Eid or any other occasion. They are always threatened with fear and destruction that could come their way at any moment.”
‘like an earthquake’
Majdi Abu Nima and his family woke up at 03:00 (01:00 GMT) for their suhoor (pre-fast meal during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan) at their home in the Al Tuffah district of Gaza City.
Suddenly, Israeli warplanes attacked empty land next to their home, severely destroying their home and causing fear among relatives.
“It was like an earthquake,” Abu Nima, a father of seven, told Al Jazeera. “We were terrified. I immediately rushed to my three daughters’ bedroom and found my two-year-old covered in shattered windows.”
“I can’t forget her fright, fear, her heartbeat. Everyone in the house screamed.
“Until now I don’t understand why they bombed our area. How could an empty country be bombed without any justification? There are no resistance fighters or any military terrain here – it’s just an empty piece of land between residential buildings.”
The 44-year-old explained to Al Jazeera the difficulties he had faced while trying to buy the house.
“I moved into this house less than a year ago and the installments are still piling up. Just two days ago, we brought a set of benches to prepare for Eid. But now there is no more joy for Eid or celebration.”
‘Lost his car’
Mohannad Abu Nima, the family’s 26-year-old eldest son, told Al Jazeera that when he heard the first attack, he rushed down to check his car.
“As soon as I reached the stairs, the second, third, fourth and fifth strikes came. They shake the place. It was filled with dust.
“I heard my parents cry and call my name, thinking I had been killed in the bombing, until they heard my voice assuring them that I was fine.”
Although no one in the family was hurt, Mohannad felt sad about the loss of his car he bought six months ago.
“I put all my savings into it after working day and night to buy it. It was my only source of income,” Mohannad added, standing next to his wrecked car.
“Conditions in the Gaza Strip are unbearably difficult. The bombings came and destroyed everything we had left. Life here has really become hell.”
On Thursday night, the Gaza Strip witnessed a long night of escalation, during which Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on several locations — including farmlands and empty lands — and Palestinian armed groups fired rockets at Israel.
The latest round of escalation in Gaza began when Israeli police attacked worshipers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday, sparking widespread condemnation from the Arab and international communities.
