A Palestinian diplomat in South Africa is devastated after learning that 10 of his family members were killed when their apartment building in Gaza was hit in an Israeli air strike.
Hassona Aldramly said they were buried under rubble after a bombardment on Sunday. Little could be done to assist them because the territory is so damaged from three weeks of attacks by Israel in retaliation for a Hamas attack earlier this month.
“During this attack, I received news that part of my family died. Five of them survived and managed to move from under the rubble but others were still under. They didn't have equipment to take them out from under the rubble because right now there is no fuel, water, there is no electricity, there is nothing,” he said.
Aldramly said it was a “very, very sad moment” for him.
“It was very painful to hear that someone you grew up with, someone that you lived, shared bread and water with has passed away in this manner. Lots of joy died by this brutal execution,” said Aldramly.
The South African government on Monday urged the deployment of a rapid protection force to protect civilians in Palestine from further bombardment and for Israel to be investigated for breaches of international law.
Aldramly is appalled by the indiscriminate nature of the shelling in Gaza.
“The situation is horrible. It's worse than what we see in the media on TV. What we are seeing from the media is only part of the truth. Our existence in Palestine is not welcomed by the Israelis. My family right now is part of the Palestinian people living in Gaza, there is no differentiation in my family and other families. When they strike, it doesn't differentiate, it attacks everyone,” he said.
Aldramly said not knowing what the future holds for his other family members and fellow Palestinians was terrifying.
“I am terrified, I am very scared, I am worried to hear more bad news, not just about my family. It's like a nightmare for us, for people living in South Africa, we wait to hear bad news about our families.
“Every day when I wake up and I want to calm my family there. I feel myself being paralysed, mentally, physically, before I can dial the number and say 'God please don't put me in that position, I don't want to experience that pain again, God please be merciful with us, be merciful with all our fellow people who are experiencing this genocide'. It's so painful, I can't even describe it, sometimes I feel like asking God what have we done to deserve this treatment.”
The international relations department said another member of the Palestinian community living in Johannesburg had 25 members of their family killed in an Israeli air strike on Monday morning.
South Africa has expressed its condolences to the families of victims.
TimesLIVE
'It's painful waiting to hear about our families in Gaza': diplomat who lost relatives in Israeli air strike
South Africa's department of international relations and co-operation has called for deployment of rapid protection force to protect civilians
Image: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
A Palestinian diplomat in South Africa is devastated after learning that 10 of his family members were killed when their apartment building in Gaza was hit in an Israeli air strike.
Hassona Aldramly said they were buried under rubble after a bombardment on Sunday. Little could be done to assist them because the territory is so damaged from three weeks of attacks by Israel in retaliation for a Hamas attack earlier this month.
“During this attack, I received news that part of my family died. Five of them survived and managed to move from under the rubble but others were still under. They didn't have equipment to take them out from under the rubble because right now there is no fuel, water, there is no electricity, there is nothing,” he said.
Aldramly said it was a “very, very sad moment” for him.
“It was very painful to hear that someone you grew up with, someone that you lived, shared bread and water with has passed away in this manner. Lots of joy died by this brutal execution,” said Aldramly.
The South African government on Monday urged the deployment of a rapid protection force to protect civilians in Palestine from further bombardment and for Israel to be investigated for breaches of international law.
Aldramly is appalled by the indiscriminate nature of the shelling in Gaza.
“The situation is horrible. It's worse than what we see in the media on TV. What we are seeing from the media is only part of the truth. Our existence in Palestine is not welcomed by the Israelis. My family right now is part of the Palestinian people living in Gaza, there is no differentiation in my family and other families. When they strike, it doesn't differentiate, it attacks everyone,” he said.
Aldramly said not knowing what the future holds for his other family members and fellow Palestinians was terrifying.
“I am terrified, I am very scared, I am worried to hear more bad news, not just about my family. It's like a nightmare for us, for people living in South Africa, we wait to hear bad news about our families.
“Every day when I wake up and I want to calm my family there. I feel myself being paralysed, mentally, physically, before I can dial the number and say 'God please don't put me in that position, I don't want to experience that pain again, God please be merciful with us, be merciful with all our fellow people who are experiencing this genocide'. It's so painful, I can't even describe it, sometimes I feel like asking God what have we done to deserve this treatment.”
The international relations department said another member of the Palestinian community living in Johannesburg had 25 members of their family killed in an Israeli air strike on Monday morning.
South Africa has expressed its condolences to the families of victims.
TimesLIVE
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