Israel resumes Gaza bombing: ‘One of the most terrifying nights of the war’

Editor’s note: The following personal account of Palestinian journalist and MEE contributor Ahmed Dremly, who was in Gaza City during the renewal of Israel’s bombing campaign on Tuesday, was told to Lubna Masarwa. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.

The sound of the Israeli warplanes was strange; I could feel it in the air. 

I knew something would happen, but I never imagined it would be as terrifying as it was. 

After 10 or 15 minutes of the planes flying overhead, I looked out the window to see what was happening. I briefly stepped out onto the street and shortly after, a strike hit very close. 

The force was immense, and the window shattered, falling onto me. I was lucky, though, with only a few scratches as I fell to the ground. 

The house was shaking, and everything inside fell and broke. It was impossible for anyone, children or adults, to stay calm. It was terrifying. 

What made it worse was not understanding what was happening. The strikes kept coming, one after another, like a continuous fire belt. 

We sat together, trying to find out what was happening, but it was clear Gaza was being bombed everywhere. 

We’re living in fear and confusion as if we’re back in the early days of war. 

People were calling for ambulances and didn’t know who to check on first, and relatives were calling, asking about the dead and what was going on. 

There was shouting in the streets, but no one knew where the bombings were coming from. The whole situation was confusing and chaotic. 

After about an hour, I didn’t leave the house. 

People in the street were running, terrified, but I had no idea what was happening. Some of my friends went out, and I found out that one of our neighbours had been martyred.

God have mercy on him. He was a polite young man, though I knew him only slightly. Many others were also martyred. 

War returns  

We had been discussing the possibility of war returning, but we never imagined it would be this intense. 

We thought it would involve targeted strikes with pauses in between. We didn’t expect so many places in Gaza to be bombed at once, especially during the night. 

For me, it was one of the most terrifying nights of this war. Even now, I can’t calm down from what we went through. 

The children, like my five-year-old niece, are asking why this is happening. 

“Why are they bombing again? Didn’t they stop the killing? Why has the bombing returned?” 

Now we’re just trying to make sure that what little food is left in the market will last a few more days. 

Power and internet outages are making it even harder to keep in touch with people.

We’re living in fear and confusion as if we’re back in the early days of war. 

Panic 

For three or four hours after the initial attack, I stayed terrified. Even now, my legs hurt from the shock. It was so sudden. 

We tried to discuss what we should do next as a family. We decided to go to the markets in the morning. My sister would go to one, I would go to another, and my brother-in-law to a third. 

We hoped to find something, but there was nothing available. The situation is getting worse, and prices have doubled. 

We can’t endure the war again, but it’s clear we’re living through it once more. And this time, it’s far worse.

A kilogram of sugar that used to cost 4 shekels is now 50 shekels, around $13–14.

Even prices of vegetables, like tomatoes, are soaring and we can’t even keep them fresh without electricity.

The markets were full of panic. There were elderly people, children and others scrambling to buy whatever little they could before the goods ran out. 

For the past 12 or 13 days, we’ve been living in a famine. Now, with the escalation of bombings, the situation has only become worse. 

We don’t know what to do. This isn’t just a political or military attack - it’s the killing of innocent civilians. 

Most of those martyred overnight were children and women. 

We don’t know if we’ll survive or not. If the army invades, we don’t know where we’ll go. 

We want the war to end and for peace to return.  We want the border crossing to open. We want basic human rights - food, security, shelter.

Right now, all we can do is wait, afraid of what’s to come. 

We don’t even have the time to cry or express our feelings. 

We can't endure the war again, but it’s clear we're living through it once more.

And this time, it’s far worse.