Thursday morning, October 26, 2023, at 6:00 AM when my life changed forever. I had just endured a night of darkness and bloodshed, a night where the Israeli occupation perpetrated heinous massacres, claiming the lives of hundreds of innocent Palestinians. Little did I know, my family and I were about to become victims of this brutal aggression.
As I lay asleep, cradled in the embrace of exhaustion, a sudden and deafening explosion shattered the stillness. I awoke to chaos, disoriented and engulfed in a cloud of dust that obscured everything around me. Panic set in as I frantically searched for my 4-month-old daughter, Sara, fearing that these might be our last moments together.
“Ya Allah, Sarah!” I cried out in terror. Miraculously, I discovered her beneath a fallen curtain that shielded her from the dust and debris of our partly demolished home. Relief washed over me, but the nightmare was far from over.
My family, by the grace of God, survived the bombing with minor injuries. We were fortunate enough to rescue my cousin from the wreckage, a glimmer of hope amid the devastation that surrounded us.
Our once-beautiful home now lay in ruins, its walls and windows destroyed by the merciless assault. With a heavy heart, my first instinct was to contact my husband, to share the news of our harrowing experience. I recorded a voice message on WhatsApp, urging him to evacuate us as death seemed to loom ever closer.
We sought refuge with my uncle, desperate for safety in a place where safety was a fleeting concept. After a week, we returned home, understanding that in the face of imminent danger, sometimes there is no escape.
The aftermath was a daunting task of rebuilding, cleaning, and replacing what we could. Plastic covers replaced shattered windows, a makeshift solution to shield ourselves from the harsh reality outside.
Today, our struggles continue as we face scarcity of food, water, and essential resources. The uncertainty of our future looms large, surrounded by the deafening silence and hypocrisy of Western and U.S. governments.
To those who have been following my story, reading my blogs, and offering words of encouragement, I extend my heartfelt gratitude.
Your support is a source of strength and resilience for me. For those willing to contribute further, you can support me, my work, my family, and those in need by donating through the link below.
Donate – Educate To Elevate (gazayoufirst.org)
Thank you for standing with us in these trying times. Together, we find the strength to persevere.
We pray for you and your daughter every day, multiple times a day.
You write beautifully, even though what you write is horror and no one should have had to document this.
One day we will bind these essays into a book.
Wow !