The Occupation Arrested my Sick Husband and We're Living in Suffering

My name is Shaymaa Ali Al-Eisswei, and I am 56 years old. The occupation arrested my husband during its invasion of the city of Hamad, north of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. We were besieged in our shelled apartment for several days. After undergoing thorough inspections at checkpoints set up by the occupation at the entrance of the city, we managed to leave and fled to displacement tents in Deir al-Balah.

Israeli occupation forces intensified their fierce bombardment on Khan Yunis city after a ceasefire that lasted for one week ended in late November 2023. Before the ceasefire, we endured severe Israeli bombardment that resulted in many casualties. The situation worsened when the occupation forces invaded the city in mid-December 2024, leaving the city in indescribable devastation.

I am a Palestinian woman living in the city of Hamad with my family. We were happy to receive an apartment from the Ministry of Social Development, affiliated with the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip. We lived in the apartment for several years, and our life was beautiful in our new home. However, the occupation destroyed our joy and our home.

The Israeli occupation forces invaded Khan Yunis twice. During the first invasion, they bombed buildings and apartments in Hamad but did not enter and destroy the city as they did during the second invasion, which left the city devastated.

After living in tents for many days and after the first withdrawal of the occupation from Khan Yunis, my husband, who suffers from heart disease, went to check on our house in Hamad. He found it destroyed, but the building had not completely collapsed. The walls were demolished, and the furniture was ruined.

Despite his heart condition and chronic diseases requiring daily medication, my husband insisted on returning to our house. He went ahead of us, cleaned the destroyed house, and put up makeshift zinc walls around our apartment. We lived there for one week before the occupation invaded the city again. It was a very difficult week under bombardment. We spent two days trying to leave through occupation checkpoints, and on our third attempt, the occupation arrested my husband while we were leaving the city. We then returned to Deir al-Balah and resumed living in tents after the occupation destroyed our apartment.

My husband's name is Jamal Bajes Al-Eisswei. He is an elderly man who worked in electrical installations, a job that completely stopped at the beginning of the war. We depended on him for everything. He was arrested by the occupation forces on February 3, 2024, and detained for two months. During his absence, we suffered greatly. The occupation forces fired at us while we were trying to leave Hamad, forcing us to return multiple times. We finally succeeded on the third day, but my husband was arrested in the process.

For two months, we had no information about my husband's whereabouts. We contacted the Red Cross, but received no news. Thankfully, he was released after 60 days, injured in his shoulder and chest from the torture he endured in detention. Now, he is unable to work, and we cannot bear life in the tents any longer.

Living in tents for over four months has been extremely difficult. The tents are unbearably hot, especially with the rising temperatures. My children and grandchildren have developed skin diseases and allergies. The infestation of insects in the tents is severe, and there are no pesticides to combat them. Despite cleaning the tent daily, the situation remains dire. There is no proper waste disposal, leading to health problems, foul odors, and more insect infestations.

We have moved from one tent camp to another, carrying the same tent with us. This tent has witnessed all our suffering since the beginning of the war. It does not protect us from the winter cold, rain, or the high temperatures. We dream of returning to our homes.

My son, Mohammed Al-Eisswei, got married in August 2023, about three months before the war. He lived in an apartment adjacent to ours, which he had beautifully furnished. He spent large sums of money preparing his apartment, but the war forced him to move into tents with us. The occupation deprived him of enjoying his new life. When he went to inspect his apartment after the occupation forces withdrew, he found it completely destroyed, losing years of hard work and effort.

My son's wife became pregnant a month after their wedding. She suffered throughout the eight months of the war and gave birth to my first grandchild, Jamal, a month ago. We struggle to provide milk and diapers for him. The baby suffers from the heat and insect bites in the tents. I hope the war ends and God grants my grandson a better life than ours.

After years of living in rented houses, we finally received a residential apartment in Hamad city with great difficulty. We were very happy, but the occupation did not allow us to enjoy it. The war broke out in October 2023, forcing us to flee to the Nuseirat camp and then to Deir al-Balah. We spent the winter in tents, enduring severe cold. Now, we face the unbearable heat.

For eight months, we have lived in tragedy, losing many relatives as martyrs. The occupation bombed our homes, leaving us homeless and living in tents. We receive a small food basket weekly, barely enough for one meal a day. Our children are always hungry. 

No one addresses our suffering or intervenes to stop the war and the occupation's crimes. Tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded have fallen among us, and most of the population in Gaza lives in tents. May God have mercy on all the martyrs and heal all the wounded. We hope to return to our homes soon.

I have no home now. My son has no home. The occupation greatly destroyed Hamad city. After the occupation withdrew, we found the city devastated, not as we left it. I hope my husband recovers from his injuries, and the war ends so we can live a safe life.

We are tired of this war. Our children are exhausted, and we don't know what to do for them. No one addresses our suffering or works to stop the war. The bombing is everywhere, and we feel our turn is coming. We hope the war stops, and we can return to our lives. We're tired of hearing about bombings, but this is our reality now. May God ease these days for the Palestinian people. Everyone is suffering, and everyone is tired. Praise be to God in all circumstances. Hopefully, the war will end soon, and all the prisoners will be released from the occupation's prisons.

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