A report by the British newspaper The Guardian, published on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, shed light on the tragedy of Rina, one of the displaced women who was forced by the bombing of Israeli occupation aircraft to leave her home in northern Gaza, after her husband was killed and the milk in her breasts dried up with which she was breastfeeding her infant. 

Rina has already lost her husband, Omar, in an Israeli air strike, and now she fears that her infant, Ahmed, will die from illness or cold, inside the freezing tent, located on the Egyptian border, which has become her fifth shelter in about 5 weeks.

There is no safety in Gaza

After Omar died in October, the milk in her breasts dried up, and for the weeks that followed his death, the only constant in her life was the extremely exhausting search for infant formula and clean water, in order to keep her only child alive, while they tried to Flee around Gaza.

Originally from northern Gaza, Rina was one of those who decided to hit the road again.

Rina said: “When we arrived in Khan Yunis, I hoped to find a semblance of safety, or at least an end to the constant sound of Israeli bombings that had terrorized my infant son. Unfortunately, the bombing continued unabated.”

She also explained: “We sought refuge in a house containing more than 60 other displaced people. Water, electricity, and communications services were completely cut off.”

Tragic situation

Any movement would bring worse conditions and more overcrowding in the shrinking corners of Gaza, which Israel says are safe for civilians.

“In Rafah, all we found were tents that were not suitable for human habitation, there were no proper bathroom facilities, and the number of displaced people was overwhelming,” Rina said of her latest stop in the two-month-old displacement saga. “Epidemics are spreading, and conditions are harsh, with extreme cold and no personal belongings.” 

The United Nations estimates that about 4 out of every 5 people in the population have become displaced, and says that the meager aid arriving in Gaza is not sufficient to meet basic emergency needs.

Death of Omar

Two months ago, Rina lived in Beit Lahia, one of the northernmost settlements in Gaza. She, Omar, and Ahmed left their home in the first days of the war launched by Israel on Gaza. They first moved to stay with Umm Rina in another area of Beit Lahia, which they hoped would be a little safer. Then they moved again to her sister’s house, and then to her grandmother’s house.

On October 17, Omar was searching for supplies for his family, when a missile struck a nearby area. A Shrapnel resulting from the explosion ended Omar's life, and tore Rina's life apart.

Rina said: “I cannot comprehend the loss of my husband. Omar is my life, and his loss makes me feel as if I am losing my entire existence. I wished I had died with him. After his death, my emotional state deteriorated, and I was no longer able to breastfeed Ahmed.”

"We don't deserve this pain"

In October, the family ignored Israeli warnings that civilians should leave the northern Strip, because they felt they had nowhere to go. The shelters in the south were overcrowded, and there were attacks there as well.

But as fighting intensified in the north, the family realized they would not be able to access even basic care. Two of Rina's husband's brothers were injured when an Israeli raid targeted a nearby house.

She said: “One of them suffered a head injury, and the other suffered an ear injury. Despite their severe pain, the ambulance crews were unable to reach us.”

When a truce was agreed upon, they decided to leave. Rina left on the fourth day of the truce, carrying her son and a few other things, and headed towards Khan Yunis.

She hoped that this crowded shelter would offer her some protection for her baby. But on December 1, Israel dropped leaflets urging them to act again.

The flyers carried a QR code linked to a map of Gaza, divided into hundreds of large, numbered buildings for evacuation orders, though constant power and communications outages make internet access unreliable.

When Rina was finally able to connect to the Internet, she scanned the QR code and looked at the map. “We were swallowed up by an indescribable sense of terror,” says Rina. They left a short time later, heading to Rafah, exchanging worse conditions for one in which there was slightly less bombing, although Israeli raids also reached them.

Rina tries not to think about what might happen to Ahmed if the bombs that killed his father also ended his mother's life. She says: "I cannot comprehend the idea that my son might be raised as an orphan. He is innocent and does not deserve this suffering or this pain."

Source: Arabic Post