GAZA, (PIC)
In every alley and tent in the Gaza Strip, there is a story recounting tragedy, resilience, and the struggle for survival in the face of ongoing Israeli genocide for the past 15 months. Here, history is written from the remnants of pain and wounds.
Noor Raed Kamal Al-Dawwasah, a 24-year-old Palestinian, lived a simple life with her husband in an independent house in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. On the morning of October 7, 2023, Noor awoke to the sounds of explosions coming from the sea. At first, she thought it was just routine military drills, but she quickly realized that war had begun.
As Israeli bombardment escalated in the area, life became impossible. Noor and her husband left their home for her family’s four-story house in Beit Lahia project. There, 30 souls gathered under one roof, seeking temporary safety.
Noor recounts her story: “My family’s four-story house, filled with childhood memories, became a temporary refuge for my large family. We were about thirty people under one roof: my parents, my siblings, my grandparents, and my three uncles with their families. This experience made me rethink the meaning of safety and stability, and how we as women can persist in the face of harsh circumstances,” according to a testimony published by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
An airstrike that ended a dream
In the early hours of November 22, 2023, Noor and her family awoke to an ominous anxiety, as if they sensed that the end was near. They tried to cling to their usual routine; her mother was kneading dough, while Noor and her sisters, Nadim and Rimas, began preparing breakfast.
But what seemed like an ordinary morning turned into a nightmare. Direct airstrikes destroyed their home above them. Noor woke up to find herself under the rubble, unable to move, while her sisters lay beside her injured. In a desperate attempt to survive, Nadim and Rimas went out to seek help, but they were martyred in a second raid targeting them in the street.
Endless suffering
With great difficulty, neighbors managed to rescue Noor and transport her to Kamal Adwan Hospital, where the medical staff faced shortages of resources and medications. After four days of waiting, Noor was transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis with her husband.
She sadly recalls how she was carried on a stretcher in the luggage area of a bus, as she was not allowed to be transported in an ambulance.
Noor underwent a complex surgery to insert a plate in her spine after an injury that resulted in complete paralysis of her lower limbs. “I no longer feel anything, not even in my pelvic area. I set alarms to remind myself of basic needs,” says Noor.
A new life full of challenges
Having lost her home and family, Noor now faces a daily struggle with pain and paralysis. The pain prevents her from sleeping, and painkillers barely suffice to alleviate her suffering. Her only hope for physical therapy fades as border crossings remain closed and the health situation in Gaza deteriorates.
Noor concludes her talk: “I am now stuck between a weak hope for treatment and a painful reality in which I have lost everything. But I try to cling to life as much as I can.”
