Children wailed in the street as we fled a 2 a.m. airstrike in Gaza

3 min readOct 12, 2023

The only power plant in Gaza has run out of gasoline, and medical and food supplies are dwindling, after another night of hundreds fleeing relentless air strikes into the streets.

At 02:00 on Wednesday, a neighbor knocked on my door and advised me to leave immediately because my apartment was a target.

Israeli warplanes have maintained their airstrikes for a fifth day.

There is no way out of the minuscule territory for the 2,3 million inhabitants of Gaza, whose situation continues to worsen.

Wednesday at 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT), the sole power plant in Gaza ceased all operations, according to official reports.

Following a violent incursion by Hamas militants, Israel cut off vital supplies, including petroleum, to the encircled territory on Monday.

Due to the absence of mains power, Gazans must rely on generators for electricity. However, there is also no means to import fuel for generators.

Following the closure of Israeli crossings and the closure of Egypt’s sole crossing point with Gaza as a result of nearby airstrikes, there is now little prospect of evacuating the area.

I attempted to get my family out of the country because the future is uncertain, but it was unthinkable.

I awoke my three children early on Tuesday morning, we gathered our emergency pack, and rushed to the hospital.

When we arrived, however, hundreds of people were obstructing the entrance; they, too, were seeking shelter for the night.

As rockets flew overhead, half-asleep children shrieked as they stumbled through the streets.

Wednesday morning, Hamas reported that thirty persons were killed in overnight attacks. More than 1,000 Gazans have perished as a result of the retaliatory air strikes.

Israel’s military reported hitting 450 targets in the Gaza Strip over the previous day.

At least 1,200 Israelis were killed after Hamas militants crossed into Israel and launched a series of attacks on communities in the south of the country, prompting the initiation of the air strikes. Hamas has reportedly kidnapped approximately 150 individuals.

On Monday, Israel imposed a “complete siege” on Gaza, announcing that electricity, food, petroleum, and water would be cut off. Now, the effects of that siege can be observed.

On Tuesday, I encountered a woman in a supermarket who was searching for infant formula. She had only half a bottle remaining, but the supermarket was empty.

About 80% of Gazans relied on humanitarian aid prior to the most recent conflict, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees reported that at least one million people have been unable to receive their food rations since Saturday.

The World Health Organization has requested the opening of a humanitarian corridor into the territory. In contrast, the local populace does not hold out faith that this will occur.

Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a prominent British-Palestinian physician, told the BBC that the health system in Gaza would disintegrate within a week if aid is not permitted.

“All bedrooms are occupied. “Patients who require surgery are unable to undergo procedures because the operating rooms are at capacity,” he said, adding that this was the bloodiest attack he had witnessed since he began working in Gaza more than four decades ago.

“Because people are injured in their homes, between 30 and 40 percent of those injured are minors. Families in their entirety are brought in with wounds… “During a war, you try to discharge patients early in order to free up beds, but these patients are all coming from destroyed homes, so you cannot send them home,” he said.

The leader of Hamas stated that he would not negotiate exchanges of prisoners for food and medication, nor would he negotiate with Israel while the territory was under attack.

According to the UN’s human rights chief, sieges violate international law. In addition to condemning the mass murders committed by Hamas, UN agencies have demanded the release of the hostages they have seized.

Despite Israel’s insistence that it is not targeting Gaza’s civilian population, the decision to limit water, food, medical, and electrical supplies to 2.3 million people is viewed as collective punishment by the locals.

Gazans are familiar with violence, but this conflict feels different.

https://ibusinessday.com/egypt-warned-israel-days-before-hamas-attack-us-committee-chairman-says/

https://articlepedia.xyz/according-to-the-chairman-of-a-us-commission-on-the-matter/

https://www.articlewood.com/as-we-exited-the-area-around-two-in-the-morning/

Children wailed in the street as we fled a 2 a.m. airstrike in Gaza

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