children on their way to school in north Gaza Gaza

Diaries of the attack against northern Gaza

Sunday: 4th th of nov
Stories from Beit Hanoun
With the help of the United Nations Relief Work Agency (UNRWA), I managed to send 400 packs of baby formula from the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) to children in Beit Hanoun. I was told that there is great need for this milk. It was difficult to coordinate this delivery since the roads into Beit Hanoun are all controlled by the Israeli military and they only lift the curfew imposed on the village for short periods of time.

The incursion is putting more stress on Gaza’s hospitals and Palestinian medics are working under fire. Two men who were part of a medical rescue team were killed today and another medical staff from Al-Awda hospital was injured while on duty.

tuesday : 8am6th of november
Drive to the Hospital
The military operation is now expanding to the north east of Gaza. In the early hours of the morning many missiles were fired on the north and east of Gaza, hitting many civilians.

On my way to Al-Awda hospital going along Salah Eddin Street, east of Gaza city, I could clearly see army tanks and a group of Palestinian resistance men. The main road was deserted.

When I arrived the hospital, I decided that next time I would take the road through Jabalia Camp. But no one road is safer than another. My colleagues described a scene of small 3 to 5 year-old age kids who were transported to the hospital in their kindergarten bus. Their teacher, Samiha Khulif (age 26), was seriously injured while getting out of the bus by an Israeli missile launched at a target. I do not know what the target was but the teacher and nine other passersby were seriously injured and two teenagers were killed as they walked pas the bus on their way to school. The small children were all crying when they reached Al-Awda; they were terrified and trembling. The hospital staff tried to comfort them. It was an intense moment and some of my colleagues burst into tears after seeing these kids.

Inside the Hospital: Obs and Gyn. Department

Since the siege and the military operation has started in Beit Hanoun village, nine women from the village arrived at the hospital to give birth. They had to wait several hours at the checkpoint to get a permit to leave for the hospital for delivery. These women gave birth, but now cannot get back to their homes. Some stayed at the hospital, others were taken to stay with families that live in the same neighborhood as the hospital. I met one woman who gave birth by Cesarian Section. She was unable to talk. She had a beautiful baby and her mother was next to her in tears, worried about the rest of the family who are trapped in the village.

MECA offered help for the women. We gave out food, blankets, baby clothing and pampers which the hospital’s PR brought it from Jabalia.

USA Shrapnel
I have seen some of the shrapnel that was recovered from yesterday’s injuries and they are all clearly marked with “USA.” The shrapnel pieces seem unusual; our surgeons did not come across this before but we do not have the time and facilities to investigate. And any way of killing civilians is illegal, whether with knives or internationally banned weapons.

from Gaza with love
Dr. Mona ElFarra