Testimonies

Daud 'Assaliyeh, father of three

I live with my wife and our children in the eastern section of Jabalya, about half a kilometer from Salah-a-Din Street. My parents, five brothers, and their families live next to us. Altogether we are thirty-five people.

Since Israel began the air attack on Gaza, we have been living in tension and fear. We're helpless. In the first days of the attack, we still managed to get some basic food supplies and fuel. By now, the electricity and water have been cut off. We had four cubic-meters of water in our tank and now there is only half a cubic meter left, even though we've been very careful and used it almost only for drinking and cooking. We don't have water to wash ourselves. Some of us haven't taken a shower for a week and smell bad.

There isn't a single shop open, not even bakeries. We gather bits of wood for heating and baking bread, and manage to bake just enough for the children. The adults eat one meal a day, and we save as much as possible so there will be something for the children to eat in the coming days.

Two days ago [2 January], the Israelis began to attack places in our area, about 300 meters from the house. Every time a missile or shell landed, the earth shook and the children became terrified and cried. Some ran to their mother and others wet their pants.

This morning, a shell hit my aunt and uncle's house. They and their son were injured. It was a miracle that they survived. We quickly got them out of  the house, a moment before it collapsed. They are in Kamal ‘Adwan Hospital, in Gaza City, in stable condition.

Note by B'Tselem field worker: At this point, I heard an explosion and the phone call was disconnected. A few minutes later, I called back.

A couple of minutes ago, a shell landed about 100 meters from my house and destroyed the whole area. Everybody is panicking.

Daud Muhammad 'Assaliyeh , 37, married with three children, is a resident of Jabalya. His testimony was given to Iyad Haddad by telephone on 4 January 2009.