Gaza bleeds again

Yusuf Abu Hattab, a teenager in Gaza, woke to the deafening sounds of bombs pounding the war-ravaged strip on Tuesday, shattering the fragile peace that had held for weeks.

- Hind Aldah

Initially mistaking it for thunder, the former UAE resident realised quickly that it was the unmistakable sound of airstrikes. This marked the first time in two months that Yusuf felt truly unsafe, with the looming threat of a missile falling close by.

On the morning of March 18, which coincided with the 18th day of Ramadan, Palestinians living in the UAE watched in horror as the truce in Gaza collapsed. Israel launched full-scale attacks on the enclave, killing at least 413 people and injuring 562, with many still trapped beneath the rubble, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

Hamas named the head of its government in the Gaza Strip, Essam Al Dalis, among a list of officials it said were killed in the wave of Israeli strikes.

UN chief Antonio Guterres led the international condemnation, saying he is “shocked” by Israel’s renewed airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and urged that a ceasefire be respected.