– I hope to get out of Gaza unharmed, now I am between life and death, I do not know if we will live or die. Hannah Abusharekh (42) and two of the children are interviewed in the town of Khan Younis in the south of Gaza by a local TV team that collaborates with news. While daughter Raghad (11) is talking, the bombs begin to explode nearby. UNCERTAIN: Hannah Abusharekh hopes to get out of Gaza alive with her three children. Photo: Ahmed Abu Kmail / news There is a long series of detonations, and the children cover their ears. They sit closer to their mother. Everyone is terrified as they take up residence on the roof of the Red Crescent headquarters. – There are many homes that have been bombed, I am very afraid, there is no safe place in Gaza, says Raghad. – A nightmare The Norwegian-Palestinian family lives partly in Norway and partly in the Gaza Strip. The father of the family, Nabil Abusharekh, lives and works as a physiotherapist in Bindal in Nordland. When the war between Israel and Hamas began, the mother and children traveled from northern Gaza to relatives in Khan Younis further south. NOT SAFE: The family looks out over the town of Khan Younis from Red Crescent headquarters. Photo: Ahmed Abu Kmail / news They tried twice to get out via the Rafah border crossing to Egypt. But the crossing was not opened, so they had to return to their relatives’ house. One night not long ago, this house was also hit by a bomb attack. – It was a nightmare, we didn’t understand what had happened. That moment when we were bombed, it was a nightmare, it’s not right. My boy shouted “mummy”, I touched him and asked if he was okay, he said “I’m alive”, says the mother. A LITTLE SAFER: The family holds onto the roof of the Red Crescent headquarters in the town of Khan Younis. Photo: Ahmed Abu Kmail / news The eldest son Mohammed (12) took time before they found. He had been hit by stones and was injured by shrapnel in a leg. He was taken to hospital and had the splinters removed. – I still can’t walk properly on that leg, says Mohammed. He says that there was bombing all the time when he was wounded, and that he was very scared. – It was loud, it was terrifying. Lots of stones came, they fell on my head, there was also wood when the house was bombed. Longing for security The family says that there are long queues to get food and some water where they are at Red Crescent. There are no mattresses where they are, and some have to sleep directly on the floor. The mother says that the bombing has a big impact on the children. MUST SURVIVE: The three siblings yearn for safety and hope they can travel to Norway soon. Photo: Ahmed Abu Kmail / news – The children think that we must survive, we have our passports with us. All four hope very much that it will be possible to get out of Gaza and to safety. – We want to be safe. I try to forget everything that has happened to us, I want to start something new and forget everything else. When I come to Norway, I want to forget everything, play and have fun, says the 11-year-old girl. The one-year-older brother says he longs to see his father again. He dreams of drinking clean water and being able to take a shower. – I want to come to Norway, it is a safe place. I need a safe place to live.
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