'I woke to the suffocating scent of blood and dust' [View all]

[Celerity]

A cautious calm in Gaza gives way to more death and destruction after Israeli airstrikes

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/20/gaza-israel-bombing-war/

https://archive.ph/Gf2zb



The sound of airstrikes shook the ground beneath me in Jabalya in northern Gaza early Tuesday. I woke to the suffocating scent of blood and dust, my ears ringing with the sound of collapsing buildings and distant screams. Panic overtook me as I tried to understand what was happening. After 57 days of fragile calm and a cautious return to our ruined homes, was the war really back?

In less than 24 hours after Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, more than 400 people were killed, including at least 130 children. Homes painstakingly rebuilt over the past two months lie in ruins again. Streets that were beginning to feel safe are littered with debris and shattered glass. Families that had reunited after over a year of displacement are again forced to flee, carrying only what they can in their hands.

Now we must bear the unbearable while bombs fall on our heads, shredding our children, our elderly, all our people, once again, this time while we fast in the holy month of Ramadan — the most important time of the year for Muslims all over the world. It is a period where we draw closer to God, help the less fortunate and appreciate our blessings. Needless to say, celebrating Ramadan and practicing its principles during war tests your soul and spirit.

For more than two weeks now, Israel has resumed blocking food, water and fuel from entering Gaza. In the refugee camp where I have been working to help distribute what little food there is, families are breaking their Ramadan fast with as little as hummus, bread and tea. Rags, old furniture and even plastic are being used for fuel, producing toxic fumes. Parents are going without food so their children who are literally wasting away can eat.

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