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| [Gallo/Getty] |
With more than 1,000 Palestinians dead amid Israel's war on Gaza - more than 300 of them children - Al Jazeera spoke to citizens of the territory struggling to surivive under the Israeli offensive.
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Moussa el-Haddad, a doctor at Shifa hospital in Gaza City
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"We hear screams over the radio from people injured in the streets asking for emergency help, but paramedics can't reach them and, besides, the hospitals are overcrowded.
Even those killed can't be reached.
I'm telling you, Gaza is on fire. Everyone on this piece of land is under attack. In this time and age, I can't believe the world is watching and no one is doing anything.
I don't understand Ban Ki-moon is making trips from here to there. Why doesn't he help stop this bloody war?"
| A mother who lost her only son |
"They [Israeli soldiers] opened fire at us.
My son Faris was killed in my arms.
I couldn't have children for 21 years after marriage until God gave me this child."
| Elaina Qleibo, the head of food and security for Oxfam |
"There is this grave feeling of impotence and I wish I was a doctor or a magician so I can save all of these people.
There is no safe place to say and there is a lack of water, so it's become a very overbearing situation.
People here are sufferring deeply, so much that they are numb, like when you have an accident, you immediately enter a state of numbness.
You see an old man sitting by himself looking like he's about to cry or you'll see a group of people walking to pretend that nothing is happening.
The shock is so big here, I don't know if people realise what is happening to them."
| A four-year-old girl attacked by an Israeli soldier |
"I saw him [the solider] hiding next to the shop.
I looked around for my mum, then he shot me.
One bullet hit my hand and the other penetrated my stomach through my back."
| Maysa al-Khitab, a resident of Gaza City |
"Please help us. The Israelis are bombing us with phosphorus bombs, so please help us.
The shelling has been continuous since last night. We are in an area where 500 other families are under bombardment.
"Where are the Arabs? Where is the world? None of them are doing anything.
"We are being killed. I just saw 300 people killed in front of my own eyes when the tower collapsed. Please stop this war."
| A father who lost two daughters |
"My three daughters went out with my mother.
All of a sudden, Israeli soldiers started shouting at them from a very close distance.
My eldest was hit by 17 bullets in the chest and my two-year-old was hit by 12.
They both died, of course."
| Khaled Ezzidin, a resident of Deir al-Balah outside of Gaza City |
"I used to live in a city called al-Zahra and, one night, me and my family were hiding in the basement of our house.
We came under fire for about two hours and by a miracle we survived the bombardment.
The next day we left the city and moved to Deir al-Balah."
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