The Occupation Killed My Grandchildren and Dispersed My Family

Since the beginning of the war, my children and I have been scattered across Gaza. I live in a displacement tent in Deir al- Balah, while my children are in tents scattered across Shati camp in Gaza City, Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, and Maghazi camp in central Gaza. The occupation took the lives of three of my grandchildren who fled to Shati camp, denying me the chance to bid them farewell. They were buried in mass graves in Gaza City. My name is Yusra Salem Abu Awad, and I am 63 years old.

The loss of my grandchildren was heartbreaking, but the greatest sorrow inflicted by the occupation is being deprived of saying my final goodbyes. The occupation divides Gaza into the north and south, separating my children and grandchildren in north from me, my son, and some of my other grandchildren in Deir al-Balah. My family is scattered, and my only dream now is to reunite with my children around one table after the war ends.

Initially, I stayed in my house in Gaza City for a week. When, in the early days of the war, the occupation bombed our residential area, causing extensive damage, I fled. First, I sought refuge in the Nasr neighbourhood, then I moved to the Sweidi area of Nasr as the bombing intensified.

For the first month of the war, all 18 of us lived together, moving from place to place in search of safety. As the bombing closed in, my family separated and scattered. Some went to Shati camp with their families, others to the north, some joined me in Deir al-Balah, and the rest fled to Maghazi camp. Our family was dispersed.

Our journey of suffering began with a month of displacement in Sweidi, enduring shelling. We sought refuge at my brother’s house in Khan Younis, but the bombing followed us there. We then stayed with my niece in Khan Younis, but again, the bombing forced us to flee to the Mawasi area. After the occupation invaded Khan Younis, intense bombing compelled us to return to displacement tents in Deir al-Balah.

I am accustomed to having my children around me, living together in a multi-floor house. We used to gather every Friday for lunch. But in this war, we are separated. I cannot sleep, constantly thinking of them and yearning for our reunion. The war has dragged on for over seven months, and I miss my children dearly. I long to have my family together again.

My son remains with his family in Shati camp, seeking refuge in UNRWA schools like Abu Assi School. They endured the occupation’s invasion of Gaza City and Shati camp, living in constant fear and facing prolonged periods of hunger, but they survived.

Tragically, my grandchildren were killed by an Israeli airstrike targeting the vicinity of the school sheltering them. Three of my grandchildren perished in the airstrike, innocent victims of injustice, oppression, pain, and hunger during this war. Their father tried to protect them, fleeing from the bombing, but the airstrikes found them at the UNRWA school and took their lives.

What crime did these children commit for the occupation to kill them? Is their only fault being Palestinian? The occupation took the lives of my second-grade grandson, first-grade grandson, and one-year-old granddaughter. Why were they deprived of their lives, leaving us to mourn their loss? Is their only fault being Palestinian? The occupation committed these atrocities and must be held accountable.

The crimes inflicted upon us since the war’s beginning are immense. For nearly eight months, the occupation has not ceased its crimes, escalating daily in killing and destroying Gaza. This is not a solution. These crimes must stop. The destruction of Gaza in this war must cease. The world must stand for justice for the Palestinian people.

We call upon Arab countries, international organizations, non- governmental organizations, and all legal bodies to support the oppressed Palestinian people. Why must we endure such injustice? Is our only fault being Palestinian? What we suffer in this war exceeds what any human can bear. It must stop immediately.

We once lived in dignified homes, beautiful concrete structures built over years at great expense to shelter our children. Now, we live in tents lacking basic human necessities.
Life in the tents we’ve inhabited for over six months is intolerable. There is no water or electricity. There are no beds or bathrooms. Insects torment us. This is not a liveable condition. All we experience is a disgrace that will haunt the occupation and the international community for their complicity in this accursed war.

Israel fights us while occupying our land, and we defend our land. By Allah, my martyred grandchildren were temporarily buried in shelters. We await the war’s end to bury them properly. This is not a solution. We demand an immediate solution. We demand to return to our homes and land in Gaza.

We are a people who desire peace and yearn to live in peace. We have suffered since our displacement in 1948, enduring bombing and death throughout the occupation’s existence. We do not deserve this treatment. We seek peace and demand the release of our prisoners, just as the occupation demands the release of its prisoners.

I appeal to all nations to intervene and find a solution for us. I appeal to Arab and Islamic nations to stand with us, ending the genocide we face. We do not seek supplies or flour. We seek to live with peace, security, and freedom. This is our plea to the United Nations and all who stand with the Palestinian people.

We have no solutions in our hands. This Nakba is greater than that of 1948, the third catastrophe for the Palestinian people. The occupation’s actions in this war shame us all. Where is the United Nations? Where are the world’s nations? Where are those who stand with us? I raise my voice with all Palestinians. My scattered children, I hope to meet them safely soon.

I am in Deir al-Balah, my son in the north of Gaza, my other son in Shati camp, and another in Maghazi camp. Gaza is small, yet we have not seen each other since the war began. We have not reunited. I know nothing of my sons. My life’s dream is to reunite with them in one home before my death, to live in peace and security, and to secure a safe future for our children, ensuring this war is Gaza’s last. It is time for Gaza’s people to live in peace and for the Israeli occupation to cease its killings.