The Palestinian humanitarian worker and journalist talks from Gaza about the last hours he spent in the Gaza Strip, which was bombed by the Israeli army: “Everything is missing here, many children are dying.”
The last thing Omar Ghraieb says is: “I have 5% charge on my phone, there is no more power.” I will talk to you when I can. He is 36 years old, a journalist and humanitarian worker for the NGO Oxfam. He was born in Gaza City and lives there with his family. He says: “We sit trapped on our sofas.”
How are you doing?
“I know war very well, but this time it is different. No comparison to previous attacks. The level of destruction is very high. Dozens of buildings, apartments, houses and mosques were razed to the ground. Entire families die in one fell swoop. The bombing continues non-stop and the worst is yet to come.”
Do you work with Oxfam?
“At the moment I cannot go into the field and I suffer from not being useful. The humanitarian situation is out of control. There is no food, water or electricity. Since everything happened suddenly, we had no way to organize ourselves. Normally we do not keep large stocks as there is a power outage of 8-12 hours every day which does not allow food preservation. The worst is the night.
Why?
“Because the bombings are getting worse and we don’t have any warning systems, we’re just being bombed. We’re sitting on our sofa and suddenly we hear explosions on the houses next door.”
Is there nothing warning of the bombings?
“For example, we don’t have sirens. The Israelis warn the residents of the bombed houses to evacuate. Those who succeed find refuge with family members, friends or colleagues who live in quieter areas. Some go to hospitals. Many children have died. These days we live with two background noises: bombs and the incessant crying of the little ones.
Looking for a way to get out of town?
“Even if we wanted to, it is impossible, we only closed two borders, one with Israel – Erez – and one with Egypt – Rafah – which only allowed some registered people to pass through. “We are used to being trapped to feel, but this is an open grave.”
The Hamas terrorist attack shocked Israel and the entire world. Many expect that Palestinian civil society will also distance itself from these actions.
“Most civilians are not affiliated with Hamas. We are not terrorists. We are people who simply want to live a dignified life in the country where we were born. Very often we feel let down by the West, as if there is a double standard. Our dead are worth less. I know it is important to talk about Hamas, but today in Gaza, good people are not thinking about politics, only about how to save their lives under a flood of bombs.”
October 11, 2023 (changed October 11, 2023 | 10:37 p.m.)
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