As missiles lit up the sky over Israel in a rare and dramatic escalation by Iran, many in Gaza, still reeling from more than 600 days of war, watched not in fear, but with a mix of anticipation, grief and relief.
Although Israel’s suffering does not compare with the magnitude of Gaza’s devastation, there was a sense of justice in seeing the pain reflected, even momentarily, on the other side, residents say.
“For over 600 days, we’ve been dying, bleeding, and suffering alone. No one felt our pain. But now, Israel is starting to taste from the same cup of death and destruction that we’ve known too well," Muhannad Mousa, 31, resident of Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza city, told The National.
Gaza resident
“I wait for the missiles every night,” Mr Mousa said, as he watched the images of Iranian missiles across the Israeli skies. “Everyone cheers when we see them fall, not because we want civilians to die, but because these strikes are venting years of humiliation, silence, and ignored pleas. We’ve buried so many children, so many dreams. No one stopped to ask how we lived, until now.”
'Fuel for every war'
But not everyone in Gaza is hopeful about Iran’s military moves. Musab Hameed, 26, from Al Shati Refugee Camp, feels that ordinary Gazans always pay the heaviest price in conflicts in the region.
“Here in Gaza, we’ve come to feel like we’re the fuel for every war,” he told The National. “Iran bombed Israel, OK. But the bombs didn’t stop falling on us. We’re still dying.”
Mr Hameed questions the benefit of this war for Gazans. “Israel just escalated its attacks on us after that,” he said. “They bombed the north, the south, the centre. We still have no electricity, no water, no medicine. We’re still buried in the rubble of our homes. What have we gained?”
While he admits that watching Israeli military infrastructure come under fire “warmed the heart”, Mr Hameed believes that true relief for Gaza will only come when the war ends.
“The only thing that would help us is stopping this river of death. That’s what we’re waiting for, not symbolic victories, but an end to our suffering.”
More than 55,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza, and more than 128,000 injured, according to the latest death toll from Gaza's Health Ministry. The number includes 68 people killed and 182 wounded in the past 24 hours.
Qais Al Ajez, 41, a father of five from Al Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza, takes a more political stance. He believes Iran, which has long presented itself as a supporter of Palestine, now has a rare opportunity to act decisively, and should use it for the benefit of the Palestinian people.
“If Iran is going to sit down at the negotiating table with Israel, it must make the end of this war a condition,” he told The National. “It would be betrayal if they didn't.”
Mr Al Ajez, like many other Palestinians, wants the end of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza to be put at the centre of any international deal.
“We don’t need more statements or slogans. Gaza should not just be a headline in speeches,” he said. “We are people. We have value. If Iran truly considers us allies, they must demand that this war ends before any ceasefire or agreement is made.”
For Mr Al Ajez, the Iranian missiles hitting Israel are not enough – they must come with diplomacy, leverage, and results. “Iran’s voice is being heard. It holds a powerful card. Why not use it to stop the massacres here, to lift the siege, to give our children a chance at life?”
Whether Iran's targeting of the heart of Israel is seen by Gazans as justice, distraction, or leverage, what they are truly hoping for is not more firepower, but peace, dignity, and the basic right to live. “Enough blood,” said Mr Hameed. “What we want isn’t revenge, it’s survival.”
