IN Gaza, Fidaa Al-Araj's daughter had just one wish for her 12th birthday.
"I just wish it won't be my death day," the young girl said – adding: “I wish I won’t be martyred or targeted by a rocket. And that people wouldn’t have to say: ‘Wow. She was killed on the same day she was born.'”
The second instalment of our exclusive Diaries from Gaza series is up now (below) with more heart-breaking audio clips from Oxfam staff trapped in Gaza as the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war increases even further.
EXC: The National has obtained harrowing audio for the second part of our diaries from Gaza series where Fidaa Al-Araj's daughter has one wish for her 12th birthday. 🗣️ 'I just wish it won't be my death day' pic.twitter.com/htwh08e92S
— The National (@ScotNational) October 23, 2023
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said at least 5087 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since October 7. It said the dead included 2055 children.
In Israel, meanwhile, over 1400 have reportedly been killed since the war started as calls for a ceasefire increase.
Najla Shawa and her family have relocated to the southern areas of the Gaza Strip, and they now live with around 50 people. She explained that food is running out, although they recently managed to bake some bread with wheat borrowed from a neighbour.
Shawa is worried that they will be hit next. She said: “Just in a neighbourhood nearby, a house with displaced families was directly hit and a number of people were killed.”
She added: “What is the world waiting for?
“We’re talking about people unable to use toilets. In shelters, they hardly have water.”
Omar Ghrieb described hearing the screams of people trapped under rubble.
Ghrieb sighed, then said: “We ask ourselves every minute of every day: Are we next? When is it our time? What’s going to happen? Which neighbour are we going to lose? Which friend are we going to lose?”
He added: “A ceasefire needs to happen, this is beyond horrible.”
Wassem Mushtaha has had to relocate twice with his family to a safer location, and said the situation is getting worse every day.
Mushtaha described going to the bakery, and seeing people sleeping outside on the concrete streets with no mattress or blanket.
He added: “We don’t have electricity, we don't have water.
“We are looking for a ceasefire, we are looking for peace. We are looking to live in dignity.”
