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In this first-person account, I spoke with Rana Akila, a 35-year-old mother residing in Gaza, where she works as a translator. Rana is a mother of two children, an 8-year-old boy, and a 6-year-old girl.
Rana’s story is a harrowing one. On a fateful Friday, she and her family attempted to obey an evacuation order issued by the Israel Defense Forces. However, their attempt to flee their home in downtown Gaza City was met with a horrifying sight — an airstrike on a convoy of vehicles that tragically claimed the lives of civilians, including women and children.
In Rana’s own words, she describes the current situation as unimaginably horrific. She emphasizes that what they are enduring can hardly be termed a traditional war, as the power dynamics are vastly unequal. Instead, she characterizes it as a genocide, with numerous devastating massacres unfolding before their eyes.
Rana recounts the terrifying experience of being caught in an airstrike while attempting to evacuate. She, along with her mother and brother, waited in a long queue of vehicles on a road that was supposed to be a safe route. Tragically, just a few cars ahead of them, an airstrike struck, targeting vehicles in close proximity. In sheer panic, Rana and her family fled their car, taking the children with them, in an attempt to seek shelter. When they eventually returned to their vehicle, they found it damaged, but they managed to repair it and return to their home. Despite the fear and uncertainty, they attempted to evacuate again, and fortunately, they reached Deir el-Balah, an area situated to the south of Gaza.