Voices from Gaza

from The New York Times I'm Sabrina. Tavern and this is the. daily last week we told the story of. Golan a father of four whose kibuts was. attacked by Hamas terrorists it was an. attack that killed, 1300 Israelis and. prompted Israel's government to say it. will now destroy Hamas which governs. Gaza and its 2 million residents now we.

turn to what's happened inside Gaza in. the days since that attack Israel has. prohibited food water and electricity. from entering the territory and has. bombarded it with air strikes that have. killed more than 2,600. Palestinians late last week the. situation grew more dire when Israel. ordered people in the north of Gaza. nearly half the population to evacuate. to the South ahead of an expected.

Israeli ground. Invasion many in Gaza now fear that this. Mass expulsion will become permanent. reopening the trauma of Israel's. Creation in 1948 which displaced more. than 700,000. Palestinians today conversations with. two people in Gaza about what they've. experienced so far and what they expect. comes. next.

it's Monday October. [Music]. 16th hello hi is this Abdullah yeah hi. Abdullah my name is Sabrina Tavern see. I'm a I spoke to Abdullah hassanin on. Thursday he's 23 years old and lives in.

southern Gaza in a town called Rafa at. that point people there had endured six. straight days of air strikes basically I. don't know if I'm going to be alive for. the next hours or no uh my neighbors who. are living just two blocks away from my. house are evacuating at this moment as. they have received a threat that their. whole. building is going to be bombed within. the few minutes so basically it's a a.

three story building or four story. building but when one building is. threatened to be bombed the whole plock. has to evacuate because it's a mass. destruction to the whole area so the. whole plock that that is next to my home. is evacuating at this moment as I. talking to. you the whole block next to your home is. being evacuated right now are you seeing. that out your window I'm just seeing. people running.

and actually there's no light as the. electricity is cut off since. yesterday and I have already been facing. difficulty just connecting to a stable. internet connection to make this uh call. with you where in the house am I. reaching you right now where is safest. um I don't know where safest there's no. safest I'm just standing here in the. balcony just to make this call no place. is safe enough in Gaza you're just.

seeing the options and which is somehow. sa you and just the H Street is in. darkness and I just see people running. everywhere to seek shelter at this. moment Abdullah how are you feeling. right. now just feeling terrified about my. family most of them are children. actually and I am the biggest one of. them um the biggest a.

brother uh and that's it I I feel the. responsibility to make them safe despite. the fact that there's no safe area in. the Gaza. Strip I'm sure you can hear the noise. from the neighbors just running I don't. know if you can hear that I hear the. voices what is can you what's happening. downstairs actually you're just seeing. people running at this moment seeking. shelter in other saver place that's just. away from.

the building that is threaten to be. bombed whole people are are just seeking. shelter I hear. them yeah that's that's what happening. at at this. moment yeah don't worry. man so actually my nebor is telling me. to open all the windows and to stay away. from them as they are going to bomb soon. I don't know if uh if you can hear him.

calling my name or no and why was he. saying that to you because when the air. strike happens if the windows are not. open they will break into your heads so. you have to open the windows because the. strength of the boming can break the. windows and you have to St from them not. to be injured from the class do you need. to go open the windows right now. actually we have already done that since.

the beginning of this escalation against. Gaza because we know what would. happen Abdullah do you have plans to. evacuate with your family what are you. thinking right now in terms of what you. want to try to. do so evacuate. where where should we go because Gaza. because the Gaza Ser okay so let me tell.

you in Gaza we have no shelters we Have. No No Sa. places can you hear this I can hear it I. can hear it what are you seeing what is. that it's a rocket it's a diamond air. strike that happens out of nowhere did. it hit something yeah yeah but it's not. that close I've just seen the the the. red. light and the sound of of War crafts is.

all over the the place the same as the. sound of drones that never. stop but yeah the. situation is getting worse by each hour. passing so I don't know if I'm going to. stay this night in my home or I will. leave. ahuh it's aishha prayer that's the call.

to. prayer. [Music]. yeah do you need to pray are you going. to. pray I'm gonna pray after we we are done. with this. [Music]. call what will you pray what is your. prayer.

[Music]. it's kind of of a spiritual connection. between us and God and actually that's. the only thing that helps us at this. moment as we are left I believe that the. people of Gaza are left. alone I pray for uh my people to get. what they want to live in peace because. we deserve. Peace So Abdullah I wanted to ask you. we've been talking about all of the air.

strikes that have been happening since. last Saturday and of course the thing. that happened last Saturday as well was. this very deadly attack by Hamas on. Israel how do you understand that attack. what did you think of. that. okay so it did not start actually by. Hamas. attack because we've been under siege.

for more than 70. years and you cannot just put people. into prison deprive them from their. fundamental rights and then see nothing. in. response you cannot dehumanize people. and expect. nothing what do you think about Hamas. Abdullah what it is what it.

does like I am not. Hamas and I was never a big fan of. Hamas we both. are different in the. ideology but what's Happening Here is. not about Hamas at all what's it about. it's about it's about ethnical cleansing. of Palestinian people it's about 2.3. million of Palestinian. people that's why.

Israel the first thing that it did was. cutting of water and cutting of. electricity and cutting of. food so this is not never about Hamas. it's. about our mistake to be form. Palestinians that's. [Music]. it.

thank you for talking to us Abdullah and. I wonder if I can call you back tomorrow. I want to keep in touch and make sure. you're okay and if you can send me a. voice memo okay you hear something in. the night you send a voice memo. okay we start with breaking news on the. Israel Gaza War last night Israel told. more than a million Palestinians in.

Northern Gaza to move South signaling a. ground assault is likely coming and even. if those people are able to move South. there is currently no way out of Gaza. because the Border Crossing into Egypt. is. blocked the order to evacuate the north. of Gaza to the south of Gaza is just. crazy and it got to be a joke because. Israel wants to expel more Palestinians.

from their homes within 24 hours than it. did during the whole neba of. 1948 you are talking about more than 1.1. million of Palestinian people that have. to evacuate within one day within 24. hours like are you serious it's got to. be a joke those are really human beings. these are not just numbers we are. talking about human. beings this has to.

stop the collective punishment that we. are facing every minute has to. [Music]. stop hello.

Abdullah yeah hi Saina Hi how are you. doing not good at. all what's happening I'm just so. devastated by the news I'm. reading Abdullah it's Friday night at. about 9 9:30 p.m. yeah what are you. going to be doing tonight what's the. next couple of hours look like for you. so actually we have my aunt and my.

cousins coming to our. home because they are evacuating as well. so I will be spending the night with. them actually during. escalations this is something that most. of of people in Gaza do they all Gather. in one room and they stay together all. the night or they sleep. together in case that they building. is the pump that they will die.

together so that they die together. yeah so tonight you'll sleep with your. family together yeah that's it that's. what we. do somehow it consoles you that you have. some some. company it sounds. very dark abdulla yeah that's.

it that's the situation. [Music]. here.

we'll be right. [Music]. back hello hi my name is sabrinaa. tavernes I'm a reporter from The New. York Times and a host of The Daily. podcast what's your name um my name is.

waa. elaka and I'm from Florida I was a. teacher until March of this year I was. an art teacher at Hartsfield Elementary. School and I live in sahase Florida I. spoke with wafa alsaka on Saturday she's. a palestinian-american and she's one of. the hundreds of thousands of people. who've evacuated from the north of Gaza. to the south over the last two days um I. came to visit my family. because I have my mother-in-law who's.

really old she's a 97 years old bound it. to bed came to visit her and take care. of her and I have a father who is really. ill and sick on oxygen 247 and I just. want I to spend some time with them. before you know don't know when I'll see. them. again and and this has. happened and now I don't. know. I was almost struck by a by a missile.

yesterday morning I promised my. sisterin-law I'll take care of her mom. and while I was giving her the medicine. on the bed I saw a missile just passing. by next to the room hit the the land. right across from their house everything. were collapsing like you know the. windows glass everywhere so I threw. myself on my mother-in-law to cover her. from the debris because I was scared.

that she hit in the you know where were. you wafa in the Gaza City the heart of. the Gaza City elal elal is in the north. right across from. Thea waa on Friday night the Israeli. military gave the order for everybody in. Northern Gaza to evacuate to the South. did you get that order no I didn't. I heard it from my niece and I'm like no.

this is just lying this is braan dead so. in my mind I kept on trying to convince. you know my sister-in-law and her. daughter no this is not true and then. she gets on her phone that whatever the. general of Defense from Israel saying. clear it or. else and she's from previous Wars that. she seen she said if he says something.

he'll do it so they start like. frantically picking up stuff out of. nowhere water food this that and and. it's like we have to evacuate we have to. go we have to go everybody it went like. at six o'clock it like no even 5:30 they. start picking up all the water because. we bought a lot of water because there. is no water in the city like when you. open the faucets there is no water and. then we got food like of cheeses and we. got tons of bread from the bakery it was.

a panic mode and they said wait until. the daytime comes because if the. Israelis see that there is movement down. the stairs and near the cars they might. hit us with a. missile I'm like this is no. don't say that no I'm GNA go take the. stuff and load them in the car for you. guys and she goes no and she held me. back and it's like please please don't. go down they will kill you they will hit. a missile on mil huh so your.

sister-in-law was worried that if you. went downstairs and brought the food and. supplies to the car you could get hit. with something from the Israeli side yes. because they will see movement and then. I was panicking and I said I can't do. panic because I need to wait and think. I'm not gonna go with them the embassy. already assured me evacuation very soon. and then they said no you have to come. with us I said no I'm not going to go.

this is not safe what are you guys doing. so what then what happened did you go. with your relatives what did you do no. they already left. so after like about two hours that. Missile hit and it was just right across. the street it was just within couple of. feets of the. house it was like a huge swn. with a fire coming next to the window.

the sound is. unbearable like if you ever heard the. worst thunder ever but it's multiplied. by hundred of times of that sound like. it will make you. death and then all debrises all around. me and like dust and gas there was a. smelly smell I can't describe have the. smell yet but it burned the throat and.

my like my nose and my eyes I never ever. smelled something like. it and then my brother-in-law hold the. neighbor next to us and we took my. mother-in-law downstairs and um we got. my nephew to come back with the car and. evacuate us and we came to hanun. and it was like cars after cars with.

people hanging from the side of the cars. they hold into the windows but from the. outside kids like 10 years old and 8. years old their parent their mother like. holding their hands inside the car and. they hanging from outside the car. because the car is loaded with 10 15 and. stuff in there 10 people in a car more. there is some of them with more I'm. telling you people were hanging now some. people opening the trunk of the car and.

having kids inside the trunk with the. trunk open kids inside the trunk I even. saw um those construction um I I lost. the in English you know the one moves. the r the rubble like like a bulldozer. like a like a. digger yes and having mattresses in. there and they having people sitting on. the mattress in the bulldozer holding. them oh my God so kids were actually. hanging on from the outside of cars. hanging on to people from the inside of.

the car the trunks were open people were. stuffed into the trunks I promise you. yes I didn't have the heart to take. pictures I wish I did but I couldn't I. couldn't because I was in disbelief my. heart was aching I felt like my heart is. is broken to see my my city this is. unreal oh my God must. wa it was a red was a red light on top. of the we don't know where it.

at it went it it went like a sunshine. and then it dropped what does that mean. there was a missile hit close by but it. felt like it was in here but I could see. like a sun coming over and then went. down waa you were on the road what. happened once you got to hanun did you. know anybody there to go into their. house what. happened no this I never been to this.

house before but my husband nie it's her. the uncle of her husband you know yeah. so it's like a a far away relationship. yeah I never met them before so we. call that's another Sunshine came. over and and there is another one. and the smell I can't describe the smell.

it's like you know like matches matches. but very strong like very strong comes. to your throat yeah it's like it burns. the back of your throat that sulfur. taste and your eyes and the nose does. the house shake what does it feel like. yes like it's a little Earth quakey a. little earthquake yes Waffa so you came. to this house where you've never been. before have you met the owners are they.

feeding you what's happening in the. house we brought in lots of food and. they have some too but then you don't. feel like eating when you're seeing all. this pain you know but we have kids and. we have to feed them and and they so. crying all day long they crying they. they're been asking their parents they. want to go home they are tired of this. how many kids are you with we have about. 10 10 little kids but we have about 70.

people on here. 7070 don't don't scar me oh my God. another one another and another one so. what happened you arrived to the house. you're staying with with yes I came in. here I stayed and then I felt. uncomfortable since I don't know them so. I called a friend of mine and she has. her cousin lives in Kan yunes so I went.

there with them which was yesterday. Friday we ate you know little sandwiches. of cheese and um Z and a cup of tea and. then I said I haven't slept for a week. so they gave me a mattress on one of the. rooms and I slept I actually went into a. deep sleep in. 55 almost. a.

huge Earth quaky sound with things. coming through the window and then. screams of these young little long girls. coming out of their mattresses like. popcorn freaking out what the hell is. this did did I go to Hill or something I. jumped out and started grabbing those. girls who are 15 and 13 freaking out. shaking and I'm like we're okay we're. okay we're okay what happened is they.

hit a missile three houses away from the. house I stayed at in the middle of the. town of. hanun but they hit it with no warning. with people inside so the men who were. staying with us they rushed to help with. the people because they said there were. tons of people over 30 plus people in. there they found the older lady they. picked her up she came in so dusty full. of dust everywhere she can't breathe so.

they start washing her face they were. describing that there were little. girls dead everywhere and there was next. to the house like a store for weddings. so they start grabbing from those. wedding dresses and party dresses and. covering their. bodies oh my God another. one another one it feels like a the Sun. comes so fast and goes down down you. know but with the noise and the smell.

like a super fast sunrise and sunset how. that's how yeah you could hear it right. yeah I could hear it I could hear it I. hear it in this attack you're describing. you said they were grabbing wedding. dresses and party dresses to cover the. girls to cover the girls who are dead. because their bodies are like showing. and they went and they found body parts. the legs of kids and arms and body parts. over the place but you waa just remind.

me here you're in the south at the south. of the line right this was the place you. were told to evacuate and you're getting. hit and this is a safer Place supposedly. for. us how is your mother-in-law is she. still there with you she's with us right. here but she's not doing well every. movement like you just try to touch her. hair she screams you move her arm she. screams. we're all scared that we're going to. lose her at any time and we don't have.

hospitals to take her to we don't have. any place to We're just trying to make. her comfortable and we don't even have. the enough medication to do. so where is your father and where is. your husband my husband is in tah housei. Florida with my other son I have two. boys my grandson is crying every day. telling me please grandma I'll come back. and I keep him promising him I'll be.

there um to break it my. heart that I I came in here and left it. behind. [Music]. so my father is is in his house refused. to evacuate because he said with the. oxygen and his health and with the dust. and and the bombing he said I can't and. if I die then that's the end of it so my.

my two brothers would not leave him. alone in his pade with him and my mom. left with my sister-in-law somewhere. here in hun that I don't know even the. address or I don't even know where she. is is he in the north your father or is. he in the South with you he's still in. the north. side another one. um no I lived in the state for a long.

time for over 35 years and now I retired. so I I kind of try to come back and. spend some time with them because I lost. a lot of time with them so I'm trying to. make up for it kind of take care of. it I don't know I'm so tired of this why. we can't see our family calmly and. kindly without being hurt my sister lost.

her house and her two kids house all. three house is lost and she's somewhere. with some people I don't even know where. my mother evacuated with my sister La. into my dad is can cannot leave because. he have the the oxygen tank and he's in. our house in inal so I don't know and we. are in some people house I don't even. know like and I have to speak with.

them and my mother-in was crying she. wanted to go back to her bed but we. can't take her back so I don't know I. don't know what else to do everybody's. everywhere I don't know I don't. know oh my goodness oh my. goodness another. one oh.

um waa what do you think will. happen what I think will happen. yes I think a lot of killing we lived in. 1948 and all we're asking is to have a. peace to raise our kids you already took. our land you already took our homes you. already took our grandparents and. parents and and lots of killing happen.

why we're repeating history again for. what what do what did they want they. want Gaza what are they going to do with. us what they going to do with the people. I want this question to be answered so. we know they want to throw us to the Sea. go ahead do it don't don't keep us don't. keep us in pain just do. it but um they cut in the electricity. they limiting the food that's coming in. they limiting the gas. they limiting medication they limiting.

everything everything is controlled by. them they limiting blood coming in for. God sake before I used to say Gaza is an. open prison now I say Gaza is an open. grave it's a grave you think people. alike they are zombies they are not. alive they are not alive not just. because they walking talking that mean. they are alive. no they are not they all.

traumatized they all traumatized I'm. traumatized and I know how to heal. myself trying to but I can't heal my. heart anymore after this. war my heart is broken to the. [Music]. bones. [Music].

on Saturday Waffa got word that foreign. citizens were to go to the border. crossing between Gaza and Egypt she said. she went and waited for hours with. hundreds of others but that the crossing. remained. shut yesterday US Secretary of State. Anthony blinken arrived in Egypt to. discuss efforts to get Americans out. through the crossing meanwhile the times.

reports that Israel's plan to invade. Gaza with tens of thousands of troops. could begin as early as. [Music]. today we'll be right. back. [Music].

here's what else you should know today. the US House of Representatives entered. its third week without a speaker as. Republicans engaged in a prolonged. public fight over who should lead the. chamber on Friday Republicans nominated. representative Jim Jordan of Ohio. following the withdrawal of their.

previous nominee Representative Steve. scales of Louisiana but it does not. appear that Jordan a hard-right. conservative has enough support to. clinch the job in a vote on the house. floor so over the weekend Jordan's. supporters tried to browbeat fellow. Republicans into supporting him posting. the phone numbers of holdouts and. encouraging conservative voters to flood. their offices with call calls demanding. that they back.

Jordan today's episode was produced by. Lindsay Garrison Jessica Chong relle. Banja AA chra and Sydney Harper it was. edited by Paige cowt Lexi Dio and Lisa. Chow fact checked by relle Banja Susan. Lee and Jack beg contains original music. by Dan Powell Alicia BTU and Maran. Lozano and was engineer Ed by Chris Wood. our theme music is by Jim brunberg and.

Ben lansberg of. [Music]. [Music]. wonderly that's it for the daily I'm. Sabrina tavernes see you. [Music]. tomorrow.