A donkey pulls a rickety cart south through the streets of Gaza. Better vehicles could not be found for the escape from the rain of rockets. – It was difficult, there was a lot of bombing. There is not much space in the cart, and the road is bumpy. My son fell and hit himself, says father Mahdi Hamad, and speeds up by hitting the donkey with a stick. He hopes to catch up with the rest of the family. They have been on the road for hours, have not eaten or drunk. On Monday morning, the family received their final warning. – There was no room for the children Flyers came descending from the Israeli side. They told them to flee south, away from their home and what little they owned. – We thought about our children, our dear children, so we left. It was a choice between life and death, says mother Noor Al-Kafarna. – We had no choice. They threatened to bomb us. We can only die once, adds the husband. As they left, the block nearby was hit by a rocket, Noor says in a bright and hoarse voice. – There was a lot of fear, says Mahdi. It soon became clear that the family had to make another difficult choice. On the dangerous road from the refugee camp in Jabalia and south towards Khan Yunis, they leaned on a car. The driver was willing to accept part of the traveling party. Grandma, two pregnant aunts, two children and a two-month-old infant were sent off in the car. It was safer that way, with the family split up, says Noor. – The situation was incredibly difficult. There is not much space in the cart. There was no room for the children, she sighs. – May God help us. We are trying to seek safety, says Mahdi while the sound of a large drone buzzes menacingly in the distance. He hopes to find his family safe and sound in the city of Khan Yunis. There is not much left untouched by the rockets in Noor and Mahdi’s hometown in northern Gaza, Beit Hanoun. The conflict in Israel and Palestine has been deadlier so far this year than in any other year since the Oslo Accords. Photo: Felipe Dana / AP – A phenomenon that repeats itself Freelance journalist and author Mohammed Al-Astal says that families splitting up are common in Gaza. – Certain families split up and stay in different places. Thus some can survive. It is a phenomenon that repeats itself every time there is a war in the Gaza Strip, says Al-Astal. – It is an attempt to save the children, says the journalist. Before and after – the town of Beit Hanoun in northern GazaPlanet Labs PBC/Reuters Home town heavily bombarded Noor, Mahdi and the rest of the family from Beit Hanoun are still in shock. – The first day, when the war started, we woke up early to send the children to school. Then our house was hit in an attack, the houses around us too. It lasted 24 hours, a whole day of cannons. Humans left. – We didn’t know what to do, but then we got word in the middle of the night from the Israelis that we had to leave, says Noor. After a few hours they arrived at the refugee camp in Jabalia, where they hoped to be safe. They were there for six days, before they were again driven out. The family is completely focused on getting to a safe place. Photo: AHMED ABU KMAIL / news The home town of Beit Hanoun is one of the areas in densely populated Gaza that has been bombarded the hardest. The hospital in the city is now out of service following Israeli attacks on Monday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Last Sunday, the Israeli Air Force said its warplanes carried out “intense airstrikes” against targets in the area between Beit Hanoun and the Israeli border wall. But for Mahdi and Noor it ended well for the time being. They made it to Khan Yunis. So did the rest of the family. – My children are fine, thank God for that. It was very dangerous, bombs were coming all the way while we were driving, says a relieved Mahdi as his sons play next to him.
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Split the family for fear that everyone would be hit in a rocket attack – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
