13 May 2024
Divine intervention
There are no earthly solutions for the Palestinian people in Gaza, only divine intervention might help.
Like many thousands of families, that of my friend, Basel Al Marquosi had to leave Rafah to go back to the middle area. He built a tent of plastic sheets and some wood in Rafah last January when he had to leave Khan Younis. It was not movable; it would have had to be cut into pieces and ruined. So, Basel left it and took his poor belongings on a donkey cart to Deir El Balah, arriving at sunset to nowhere. he did not have an address or a place to go to. He and his family spent 3 days and nights in the street near garbage containers. He did not choose to be there; he had no other place. On the third day, he managed to find some plastic sheets and to build, again, a poor tent.
I look for words to explain how they feel, what they went through, how humiliated they must be. Why should anyone pay such price? And for what?
Conversation with Basel and friends on WhatsApp:
- We are tired of everything! This is not weakness, it is from being let down by everyone, by all the world.
- Where are you now Basel?
- At Deir El Balah, the ones who have no tents sleep in the street.
- Where in Deir El Balah? In the Al Bassa area?
- No, near Al Aqsa hospital.
- Don’t stay near hospitals! It is not safe, hospitals are targeted, go West.
- There are no places there, it is completely full, also movement is almost impossible. Transportation would cost 3000 Shekels (850 $). Anyway, I am near, but not too close, to the hospital.
- If you need anything just ask, I have friends there.
- Thanks, Rami was with me step by step.
- Do you have your daughter and her children with you?
- No, she is with her husband, still in Rafah, planning to come tomorrow. Her husband Taha became responsible for all the family after his father passed away a few days ago.
- What? Rafat died, he was young, he was not 60 yet!
- Yes, he died. You know he was a fisherman, and the last thing he asked for was to eat fish, but he died before he could.
- May he rest in peace.
- Well, he is resting now… There are hundreds of thousands who are living death. Believe me, this is so very painful!
- May God help, keep up your strength my friend!
- Don’t worry, I am good as long as I have friends like you.
- It is so horrible to be unable to help, while we are here outside in Europe and you are left alone there.
- There is no space for more pain in our hearts
Waiting for God to intervene…
