GAZA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- With rapid steps, Aseel al-Shiekh Ali, a Palestinian child from the northern Gazan city of Jabalia, tried to escape with her mother after being informed by the Israeli army that their house would soon be attacked.
Like many other Palestinians racing against death, Aseel, her mother, and their neighbors were gripped by fear and panic, unsure of where to go.
Just a few weeks ago, Aseel had returned to her house after months of displacement, hoping to finally stay in her home at least until the end of the current war.
However, once again, the 10-year-old girl was forced to flee with her family into the "unknown," uncertain of their future amid the intensifying fighting between the Israeli army and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
"I do not want to die. I am a little girl. I want to live, play, and enjoy life," Aseel told Xinhua with a trembling voice while walking barefoot.
Suddenly, before she could finish speaking, a huge explosion shook the street. Screaming aloud, she called for her mother, trembling with fear.
The little girl ran frantically, without knowing where she was going, until her uncle picked her up, comforting her with the reassurance that her mother and everyone else were safe.
"This frightened child you see is one who loves life. Despite her fear, she constantly reminds us that we will survive and one day return to our normal lives," Mohammed al-Sheikh Ali, Aseel's uncle, told Xinhua.
Two hours later, Aseel and her family reached a refugee shelter in the Jabalia refugee camp.
The Israeli army launched a large-scale war on the Gaza Strip after Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israeli towns and sites on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and holding about 250 others as hostages.
Since then, the Israeli army killed more than 36,200 Palestinians and wounded about 82,000 others in the Gaza Strip, with a significant number being children and women, according to the health authorities in Gaza.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Aseel continues to hold onto hope that the conflict will end soon and she will return to her home again to find her doll and books.
"After the war ends, my father and uncles will rebuild our house, while the neighbors will build the school and hospital. Gaza will once again be beautiful, with places to play," she said with a hopeful smile.
Ibrahim Shaath, another resident from Khan Younis city in southern Gaza, shares the same hope for an end to the war to alleviate the suffering of all Palestinians in Gaza.
Thirteen-year-old Ibrahim lost his parents, two siblings, and his right leg during an Israeli airstrike on their home in Khan Younis a few weeks ago.
"I didn't hear any explosion or missile, but I felt like the house was collapsing above my head. At first, I thought I was dead, but then I heard men's voices telling me that I was still alive," the boy recounted.
Currently, Ibrahim is receiving medical care at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah refugee camp, with his elder sister caring for him.
"Despite losing my family, home, and neighborhood, I'll carry on with my life and achieve my dream of becoming a doctor, as my parents hoped, to serve my people in the future," the boy said, his eyes brimming with tears.
"We love life and want to live in safety. My family was killed simply because we live in Gaza, while children elsewhere live free from fear, enjoying their rights without worry," he said.
Sama Abu Zayed, from Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, shared those same dreams, but tragically, she was unable to realize any of them, as she was killed in an Israeli raid targeting her family's home two months ago, according to Haniya Abu Zaida, Sama's mother.
"My child dreamt of becoming a painter one day. But the Israeli army killed her, killed her dreams, and killed the life inside me," said Haniya, with tearful eyes.
"What sins did our children commit to deserve such brutal killings? And what is our fault for enduring this oppression and injustice?" she questioned, urging the international community to halt the bloodshed in Gaza. ■
