'They're trying to stay strong': Woman describes life in Gaza as family remains trapped
One Maryland woman described to sister station WBAL what life is like for her and her family as they remain in Gaza while fighting continues.
"It's tough. They're trying to stay strong. The situation is horrifying and worrisome on so many levels, and it's been brought on very deliberately," Laila El-Haddad said.
El-Haddad is a Palestinian author, social activist and journalist living in Maryland. She has lived many years in Gaza and much of her family remains there.
"We try to keep in touch as much as we can. Sometimes, I can't reach them, and then we get worried. The bombings intensify in the evenings, and that's when we get really worried. We don't know what's going on. The last thing we do before we sleep is check in, 'Are you alive?' The first thing when we wake up: 'Are you alive? How are you doing?'" El-Haddad said.
Her family tried to leave, but they turned back after seeing carnage on the road ahead.
"As they were moving down, 70 members of one family were killed by the Israeli army, and they decided it wasn't safe to move. They returned and sent me a somber message that said, 'We decided we would rather stay together and die together,'" El-Haddad said.
She said her loved ones are sharing the first floor of a three-story apartment. They live in filth.
"My uncle was just telling me the streets are full of trash. There's no trash collection. That's presenting all kinds of other problems, causing outbreak of illnesses. There's no more water to flush the toilets with," El-Haddad said.
Members of the community use a small backup generator to power their phones.
"They're just relying on flashlights. They don't have refrigeration, so they are consuming whatever food is shelf-stable," she said.
El-Haddad said, beyond the two-sided nature of the war, there are basic factors people should remember.
"It's about their basic freedoms, their dignity and their humanity. That is the most important thing to remind folks," she said.