People flee the area after Israeli strikes in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, in November. AFP
People flee the area after Israeli strikes in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, in November. AFP
People flee the area after Israeli strikes in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, in November. AFP
People flee the area after Israeli strikes in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, in November. AFP

'I didn't want to leave': Split families fear for loved ones as Gaza war enters 100th day


Nagham Mohanna
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

The Israel-Gaza war enters its 100th day on Sunday, while the situation for Palestinians stuck inside the enclave remains dire.

Nearly 24,000 have been killed and thousands more wounded during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli troops began the offensive after Hamas militants from Gaza stormed southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people on October 7.

The violence has separated hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from loved ones, who have been displaced to other parts of Gaza or neighbouring countries.

Families say continuous communication blackouts imposed by Israel means they are unable to reach each other.

Ashraf Al Qudra has to to walk the dangerous route to the Al Shifa area in Gaza city, to find mobile phone coverage to call his mother Soria Ahmed.

She was displaced to the south of the Strip along with Mr Al Qudra's four sisters.

“The journey to Al Shifa is not easy," Mr Al Qudra tells The National.

"I have to walk for 20 minutes to reach the area, where sometimes snipers shoot at us."

The 27-year-old is staying with his grandfather, Salah Ahmed, who refuses to leave his house.

He says he does not want to give the Israeli army the satisfaction of displacing him, even if it means risking his life.

Mr Al Qudra has previously been shot in the leg on his way from his grandfather's house to Al Shifa.

“Israeli planes sometimes hover over us and shoot people, so we need to be careful all the time and examine the area we are going to,” he says.

People inspect damage to their homes caused by Israeli air strikes on January 3, in Rafah, Gaza. Getty Images
People inspect damage to their homes caused by Israeli air strikes on January 3, in Rafah, Gaza. Getty Images

Painful choices

Soria Ahmed, Mr Al Qudra’s mother, made the decision to leave her home in Gaza city and flee to the south for the safety of her daughters, while her father and son stayed behind.

She did not expect to be gone for three months.

“I feel so worried about my father and my son. I struggle every day to reach them,” Ms Ahmed, who is staying in Rafah city, tells The National.

“I constantly hold my phone, hoping to receive any news that would bring me comfort, I spent one month before now not knowing anything about them.”

She wants the war to end so she can reunite with her father and son.

“I didn't have a choice. I was torn between the safety of my daughters and my duty towards my father and son,” Ms Ahmed says.

Palestinians gather in Al Shifa daily for hours, trying to speak to their families on the phone.

“I go to the roof of Al Shifa hospital building so we can catch some signals for the phone,” Mr Al Qudra says.

“My grandfather has a hearing impairment, so it is not good to leave him alone, especially with the devastation that was caused from the missile, water from the rain enters the house."

At one point, when the house was struck during Israeli shelling and partially destroyed, Mr Al Qudra decided to leave.

"However, I have now returned and am staying with him.”

I want to be reunited with my husband and my family
Um Mustafa,
displaced Gazan

Mr Al Qudra's grandmother, Umm Mustafa, also fled her home to neighbouring Turkey.

“I am sick and the saltwater I used to drink in Gaza caused problems with my kidneys,” she says from Istanbul.

“I didn't want to leave Gaza city. I didn't want to leave my husband. But the war has shown no mercy to anyone.

“I want to be reunited with my husband and my family.”

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AUSTRALIA SQUAD

Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km

Scorline

Iraq 1-0 UAE

Iraq Hussein 28’

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RESULTS

5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB) Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA) Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA) Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Messi, Pat Dobbs, Timo Keersmaekers
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA) Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi

French Touch

Carla Bruni

(Verve)

THREE
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Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.

Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.

The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.

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PREMIER LEAGUE STATS

Romelu Lukaku's goalscoring statistics in the Premier League 
Season/club/appearances (substitute)/goals

2011/12 Chelsea: 8(7) - 0
2012/13 West Brom (loan): 35(15) - 17
2013/14 Chelsea: 2(2) - 0
2013/14 Everton (loan): 31(2) - 15
2014/15 Everton: 36(4) - 10
2015/16 Everton: 37(1) - 18
2016/17 Everton: 37(1) - 25  

Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIES INFO

Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
 
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal

Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff

 1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458

Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

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Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Updated: January 14, 2024, 5:11 AM`