Dareen: Lost her Family to Bombings But Not Her Hope for Life
(AWP) - With her trembling small hand, 10-year-old Dareen wrote a letter overflowing with love for her mother, father, brother and two grandparents, all of whom were lost among 70 people she said were killed in Israeli bombing attacks in Gaza City. Miraculously, she and her younger brother survived.
Lying on a hospital bed in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, the young girl drew a heart at the end of her letter and wrote the words “I love you.”
Dareen recalls the terrifying moments when the Israeli airstrikes destroyed the house where she and her family had sought refuge, living among dozens of relatives and neighbours.
They had thought that the place would be safe but, eventually, the bombing targeted them.
Although Dareen is now alone with her brother Kenan, 5, she has not lost hope that she will recover from the injuries that keep her bedridden. She hopes to find someone to help her travel outside Gaza to receive treatment so she can stand on her feet again.
With tears streaming down her face, Dareen said, “I am sad. I miss my mother, father, brother and all of my family. There were 70 people inside the house. These were my relatives and loved ones. It’s impossible to forget them.”
She continued, “I wish somebody would help me travel for treatment abroad. I want to walk again so I can visit the graves of my family and put flowers on them. I miss walking like I used to and playing with the girls.”
“My heart is broken because I am motherless now,” she said.
Israel has sustained its war on Gaza by air, land and sea, killing over 19,000 Palestinians since October 7 and injuring more than 52,000 others, of whom 70% are women and children according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.