“We’re Surrounded. Israelis Are Everywhere. We Are Dying.”

by Emad El Byed, via Unsplash. Devastation in Gaza.

In my last post, I mentioned the concept that the massacre in Gaza might not be a political issue, and indicated that we would explore that possibility today. That will have to wait, so that I can update you on our family.

Folks, I realize that probably very few, if any, of my readers are supporters of Israel. I know I’m most likely preaching to the choir. But you, the choir, have audiences that I could never reach. It’s up to you to take this message – not my message, but Gaza’s message – to the people you know.

This is not a time to be timid. Be bold. You are speaking up against genocide. No one should be silent about genocide, I don’t care how bashful you are.

I’m being unapologetically demanding today because the situation has deteriorated so badly in Gaza. We fear for our family’s lives – we fear for all Gazans’ lives.

After hearing zero from our family since January 11th, yesterday morning (January 22nd), we got several messages from my nephew, Musa. These were his first words:

“We’re dying.”

(If you’re not familiar with the circumstances of this story, you can catch up – check the reading list below.)

A minute later:

“We’re surrounded. The Israelis are everywhere. No place is safe. We are dying.”

Musa had left the house where about thirty people are sheltering alongside his family – risking his life – and gone up on a hill to catch a signal on his cell phone. Israel has nearly all communications cut off. Along with the above texts, he sent us his location within the city of Khan Younis.

Then we received some voice messages. We could hear the sound of bombs exploding nearby, the buzz of drones. And Musa’s voice, usually calm and confident, was terrified.

“We don’t know what to do, we don’t know where to go…The tanks are one hundred meters away…I have to go back to the house. It’s dangerous on this hill.”

“Pray for us.”

Let me emphasize: this is not a movie script. This is real.

That was about twenty-four hours ago. Since then, we have not heard from them. We’ve been watching the news – Al Jazeera, the network that actually has Palestinian reporters on the ground in Gaza, telling the story firsthand. The other networks report from Israel using Israeli-generated talking points.

We scan the screen for family members’ faces. We watch and listen for the neighborhoods and landmarks that have been bombed. Here’s what I read yesterday (emphasis addded):

Residents said bombardment from air, land and sea was the most intense in southern Gaza since the war began in October, as Israeli tanks surged across Khan Younis from the east into the western areas close to the Mediterranean coast.

Here are a few other news snippets from the area where our family were sheltering:

Until now medical rescue teams find it extremely difficult to extract bodies and wounded from the sites of the attacks, which are random and in residential areas….

Israel is pursuing a military tactic of “systematic destruction” of residential buildings in Khan Younis, targeting key infrastructure and forcing people to flee….

Much of Khan Younis has already been damaged or destroyed by Israeli air attacks, and now Israeli soldiers on the ground are blowing up residential buildings….

Troops continue to film themselves mocking Gaza and Palestinians amid the destruction, with the latest video coming from a soldier who proudly shows how the army destroyed 40 residential buildings at once….

There is an intense bombing campaign near the Nasser hospital and also El Amal City Hospital in the western part of the city. Attacks are also targeting Gaza’s largest university where thousands of people are sheltering. The area is being bombed by land, air and sea – there’s no safe corridor for them to escape….

Attack drones are hovering everywhere over Khan Younis shooting at moving objects. So far 12 people have been killed overnight. Very dark days ahead as the situation gets worse by the hour….

The number of Palestinians killed as Israeli warplanes bomb Khan Younis tonight has risen to 10, most of them children….

Dozens of people have also been wounded….

People were also injured when an Israeli plane bombed a house in the coastal Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis Governorate, Wafa reported….

Everything Al Jazeera said was corroborated by a relative of ours who has been in close contact with his family in Khan Younis. He said it’s a bloodbath, and “it would be a miracle for anyone to survive.”

That’s why I’m saying things are really bad. That’s why I’m saying this is not a political issue.

Look, I’m not trying to feed you “disaster porn.”

Don’t walk away from this saying, “well that sucks,” or “we’ll see what happens.” Don’t even say, “I will pray for that family tonight.”

This is not just one family’s story. This is Gaza’s story. Every Palestinian in Gaza has gone through, or is going through, a similar hell. No Palestinian – no human being – should have such violence imposed on them.

I’m sharing our family’s experience so that you will know enough of what’s going on to demand that it stop. Please share this story and talk about it and change someone’s mind.

Especially as people of faith, it’s our responsibility to care about all human beings.

Contact the people in Washington DC who (allegedly) work for you and tell them, “ENOUGH. CEASEFIRE NOW. NO MORE WEAPONS TO ISRAEL. STOP THE GENOCIDE. NOW – OR YOU’RE FIRED.”

Reach your Representative here, and your Senator here. Email President Biden here.

I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter. I write about the Palestine-Israel issue regularly, and other issues relevant to progressives or those considering becoming progressive. If you would like to comment on this post, please pop over to my Facebook page. All of my posts are there and open to constructive comment. I welcome your thoughts.

Other posts about our Gazan family (in chronological order):