“I ask myself what type of death me and my children will get”
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Hayder, a driver working for Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, is trapped in the district of Beit Lahia in north Gaza with several members of his family. The northern part of the Gaza Strip has been under heavy bombardment by Israeli forces since early October resulting in one of the most vicious and violent attacks since the beginning of the offensive.
“I am now sheltering in Beit Lahia in the blocks surrounding Kamal Adwan Hospital. I am here sheltering with 10 members of my family, including my sons and grandchildren. I have been here since 5th November. Before that, I was sheltering in Al-Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital, but they (Israeli forces) told us to evacuate. So, we came here.
My wife is sick with rheumatoid arthritis and cannot move. She needs surgery to replace the joints in her legs and hands. Before the war, we had a referral to go to Egypt or the West Bank for her treatment. She’s suffering and we do not have any solutions. I don’t even have a wheelchair to push her around in.
We tried to evacuate from Beit Lahia once, but she struggled to walk. It was very difficult. On the way, we met some people who were coming back toward Beit Lahia. They told us that the (Israeli) soldiers at the checkpoint were not allowing anyone to go further, so we decided to turn back.
The bombing does not stop. You can hear the shelling and strikes all day and night. Sometimes it is less, sometimes it is more. It is not safe at all.
I try my best to be strong in front of the family and the children, but the truth is I am terrified. It is real fear. I expect death at any moment.
I ask myself what type of death me and my children will get. I do not know.”