Fayzah Sa’id Abu Shammas (78) from al-Shati’ refugee camp

My struggle stared on 15 October 2023 when I was at home in al-Shati’ refugee camp and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) struck the area with heavy airstrikes described as “fire belts” without any warning. I left home under fire and intense bombardment fleeing to al-‘Aliah UNRWA school in the camp.  After the residents of the area took refuge in schools, IOF’s warplanes dropped leaflets ordering us to evacuated to the south.  However, we decided to stay at the school until 15 November 2023.

During that time, we endured unspeakable horrors and sleepless nights due to the Israeli relentless artillery shelling, fire belts and white phosphorus that even hit the room I was staying in and I luckily survived a near death. When the bombardment intensified, I would hide under the school stairwell as IOF were firing shells at us.  We had heavy unforgettable days; we suffered from starvation and water crisis and to this day sound of children crying from hunger run through my head.  We drank unpotable salty water while the nights were so long and scary.

I was physically exhausted and pale-faced and could barely walk as I am an old woman suffering from several diseases: diabetes, hypertension and Tremor, which is a neurological disorder causing involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body.  I was not taking my medication because I fled home under heavy bombardment and could not take any of my medicines. 

When bombardment became more intense on the school, part of my family evacuated to the south.  I could not go with them because I am old and cannot walk long distances.  I went with my daughter to the Sweden clinic run by UNRWA in al-Shati’ refugee camp at 15:00 on 15 November 2023.  We stayed there for a week, during which, IOF and their tanks surrounded the clinic amid heavy firing of shells.  We immediately rushed downstairs from the fifth floor to the ground floor and I could difficultly move.

As soon as we arrived on the ground floor, IOF fired artillery shells, gas bombs and white phosphorus.  I lost hearing in one of my ears due to extremely loud explosions caused by the shells that were falling on us.  A mother and her 3 children were killed after IOF targeted their room on the fifth floor of the clinic and they were buried there.  We remained for 3 days without food suffering from hunger and lack of water.  All day, we could only eat one or two dates or a mini bar of halva as IOF denied entry of food or water into the clinic.

IOF destroyed all the bathrooms on the ground floor and levelled all trees surrounding the clinic on the street.  They then pilled all the trees and burnt them in front of the clinic.

On 18 November 2023 after besieging us, IOF stormed the clinic while we were inside and unleashed their dogs on us.  At the time, we started uttering the Shahadatein and were scared to death.  The soldiers told us, “you should all go to the south.”  At the time, the clinic’s main entrance was on fire while all those displaced, including children, young men and women, jumped over fire and men were carrying the elderly women.  My son and another man, whom I did not know, carried me as well over fire so I could get out.  On my way out, I saw Israeli soldiers selectively arresting whoever they wanted.  They arrested many young men, noting that we were around 500 persons in the clinic.  Afterwards, IOF set the clinic on fire and conducted fire belts, burning all the shops there as we could see while leaving.

We kept walking towards al-Shifa Hospital under gunfire though we were holding white flags.  Due to the heavy shooting, we took refuge in a restaurant on al-Shifa Street.  We slept in the restaurant and people there offered us food as we were starving and thirsty because for 2 weeks we had not been eating or drinking normally.

On Sunday morning, 19 November 2023, IOF fired a shell at us, and 4 of us were killed and buried in the restaurant while 10 children were injured in their hands and legs. We quickly left, but I could walk short distances but had to rest many times between each as I told you I am too old to walk long distances.

On the same day, my family and I decided to go to the south, so we took a cab that dropped us at the Kuwait Roundabout on Salah al-Deen Street where IOF ban all means of transportation except on foot.  We had no choice but to walk a long distance.  Feeling very exhausted after walking for a short distance and resting many times, I told my family to leave me here, “I want to die, I cannot walk.”

 From there, we walked down to the so-called “safe corridor” while raising our ID cards.  We continued walking until we reached al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. We found and donkey cart that took us to Deir al-Balah. We fled Gaza without taking anything with us and we were wearing our summer clothes.  I later knew that IOF leveled my entire house and left me nothing.