These posts give voice to people in the Holy Land of the present and recent past.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Narrative: Dina writes from Gaza
Earlier this week Samia Khoury of Jerusalem transmitted this message from her daughter:
My daughter Dina has been in Gaza with a medical team from the Augusta
Victoria Hospital since last Friday. We are expecting them back
tomorrow "Inshallah" as we always say in Arabic (God Willing)
Today was day
four in Gaza.
The first two days were like limbo. We felt we were in Gaza but not yet feeling what was happening
around. We live in the hospital compound: eat in the compound, work in the
compound, sleep in the compound. We see the injured, hear the ambulances, see
the bodies and people strewn around everywhere - still it does not sink in.
Yesterday evening things started to get real when I saw a child sleeping with
his father in the open air on a piece of cardboard. He was there in the
morning, there in the evening, and again this morning and this evening. I
wonder where is his mother, where is his family? The stories one hears about
entire families being annihilated, completely erased from the national registers
of citizenship makes your hair stand on end! But still, it does not sink in.
Perhaps because I am in the operation room and used to seeing people injured.
Then reality hits when the shelling in Jabalia starts. At ten in the evening we
receive a lady in her sixties. She is full of dust, full of earth and full of
holes throughout her body. Head lacerated, thighs lacerated, leg crushed. I
think of where she could have been sitting, what were her thoughts when the
shell hit…I thought of mom, I thought of all the older women I know.
When the
bombing started this morning, it was children. Our first patient was a little
boy around six years old. He had massive lacerations to his groin, abdomen,
face and head. He had burns all over his body as well. We were able to manage
him in the theatre. I wait to see how he is doing. Then comes Haneen. She is an
eight year old; my colleague from the emergency room, Dr. Haytham informed me
that a child is coming up with her hand hanging on her side. I went up to
Haneen who was waiting calmly in the holding bay. Her eyes were closed. She had
a bandage across her head; her eyes were closed because of the swelling from
the oedema and the burns to her face. I approached her and held her, and
greeted her, and informed her of my name. I held her little hand on the injured
side. I told her that I will be with her - she held my fingers. She informed me
that her hand hurts. I told her that it was injured and that we will try and
fix it. She then asked me about her father and two sisters. I told her that her
father was waiting for her. I could not tell her that her sister had died. I
still could not tell her that later that evening, her other sister was brought
in dead from under the rubble…they were both less than four years old.
I saw Haneen in
the ICU later. She was awake and extubated. I greeted her and told her that I
was Dina. One eye was now open. She asked me if I had a daughter, I said yes.
She asked me what is her name. I said Haya. She said that is a pretty name.
It was a tough
day that ended with hopeful news. The plane up above, called zanana (drone)
keeps buzzing all around. My colleagues from Augusta
Victoria Hospital
in Jerusalem
arrived today with supplies. I felt proud to greet them. The Hospital had done
an excellent job sending supplies and individual packs to each of us. They were
greeted and their support appreciated. Being there is all that matters. On a
personal level, I feel responsible for a big group now. It is very nice to have
Dr. Haytham here; he is a wonderful professional colleague. My other colleagues
are in Nasser Hospital in Rafah (South of Gaza),
treating the injured and witnessing the toll of martyrs. One other colleague is
at Al Aqsa Hospital working in surgery.
The smell of
blood and death is around the young and the old. Each day we are greeted with
the car coming to take the martyrs. Our room is close to the mortuary. You look
at the faces of people here - they are all stunned. A nurse on duty looks
deeply sad - her son comes with her to work. My friend Bassam from Gaza came to visit me and
brought me a lot of goodies to eat. I distributed them among our team and
colleagues. I was worried when I looked into his eyes and saw how red they
were. The strain on his face was apparent. His son had a close call, and his
nephew has been injured. They are children. They were playing in the street and
had just stepped into the house….
Posted on Samia Khoury's blog: http://reflectionsfrompalestine.blogspot.com/2014/08/from-my-daughter-dina-from-gaza.html
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Narrative from Dr. Maria Khoury of Taybeh
Today we had a memorial service for Jalileh (the first Christian woman in our extended family killed in Gaza). Just to explain to you the craziness of the permit system and lack of freedom for Palestinians; her husband George, 70 years old, only 25 minutes away at the Jerusalem hospital accompanying his son at the ICU, could not attend his wife's memorial service in her family village because the permit from Israel is only limited to go from Gaza to the hospital. Please know, I found this to be a bizarre rule that you will receive permission to travel but cannot go anywhere but the hospital.
It was forbidden for him (according to his permit) to go into the Old City of Jerusalem and pray at the Holy Life Giving Tomb of Christ. At any rate, I called him on the phone so he can be comforted with the beautiful chanting during the service. May his wife rest in peace.
As we had this memorial service on Tuesday, August 5th, we hope a ceasefire will remain in Gaza after 29 days of brutal attacks that have left 1,875 people killed and 9,563 injured; 64 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Hamas continued to fire rockets in Israel non stop. (if the siege on Gaza is lifted, it will be considered a victory). Another UN school was bombed Sunday, (three schools in total, in addition to hospitals, ambulances, mosques) finally having a statement of moral outrage from the international community that this is a criminal act. This war will continue and there will be another war unless the whole world stands up and tells Israel to end the military occupation.
As many people are carrying on their regular lives in all corners of the world, the Gaza strip is a total hell and a total humanitarian disaster. There are whole neighborhoods that have been flattened out, lack of water, electricity, medical supplies and food.
People are struggling to dig out the bodies of the dead, hospitals struggling to cope with the bloodshed and death, and shelters struggling to cope with the hundreds of thousands attempting to seek refuge. There are more than 270,000displaced people.
When I visit our cousin in the hospital, the lucky 30 children that got a permit for treatment in Jerusalem are all either with missing legs, arms, or brain dead. But I have seen everyone, both Christian and Muslim come and express solidarity with moral and financial support. May our Lord have mercy!
Thank you for your prayers, in Christ, Maria
Thank you for your prayers, in Christ, Maria
In case you want to share the story of Jalileh with others
When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we speak kindly. 1 Corinthians 4:12-13
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