Aseel Mousa
The Electronic Intifada / July 21, 2024
Israel’s violence against Gaza City is terrifying its residents.
Yasmine al-Masry is one of them.
Earlier this month, Yasmine received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Israeli military. She was ordered to evacuate Al-Daraj, a Gaza City neighborhood.
“I was not able to take anything with me except a few important items,” she said. “I don’t know how I managed to cram my life into a small bag.”
Yasmine has a baby named Abdul Aziz and a 2-year-old named Muhammad.
Her family headed westwards on foot. It was around 2 am.
Vast numbers of other people made the same journey.
There was immense uncertainty about where to go.
The family had headed toward al-Rimal, another Gaza City neighborhood. Then they heard that Israel had also issued evacuation orders to people in al-Rimal.
“We spent the night in the street,” Yasmine said. “I was not able to give my children any sense of security.”
In the morning, the family went to a house that was severely damaged. After approximately six hours, Israel ordered the evacuation of the surrounding area.
So the family went back to their home in Al-Daraj. “We decided that if we were going to die, we would die in our home with dignity,” Yasmine said.
Yasmine learned she was pregnant in the early stages of the current genocidal war.
“I never expected that the war would continue until it was time to give birth,” she said. “Unfortunately, I spent my entire pregnancy hungry and in fear.”
Yasmine had very little fresh food during her pregnancy. Her weight fell by about 15 kilograms.
“I lost my aunt, her husband, her children and her grandchildren,” Yasmine said. “Their house was targeted by an Israeli missile that killed them all.”
“I also lost two of my very close friends,” she added. “I lost many of my colleagues at work as well and that affected my mental health.”
Her baby Abdul Aziz was born in unsanitary conditions at Al-Sahaba, a Gaza City medical center.
“When I went to give birth to my child, there were no beds available,” Yasmine said.
She had to remain on a chair while she was in labor.
“I screamed and a doctor helped me through the birth,” she said. “But I did not have the luxury of knowing my son’s weight or height or checking on his health.”
Because she is malnourished, Yasmine has not been able to produce an adequate amount of breastmilk. Finding infant formula is extremely difficult.
Yasmine’s baby was born amid a genocide. It is vital that the genocide ends and that he is given a chance to grow up in a healthy environment.
Aseel Mousa is a journalist from Gaza
