Deir el-Balah, Gaza – In a tattered makeshift tent in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Basma al-Helou and her husband prepared their morning tea. “We do not wish this life (in tents) on anyone, even less on our brothers in Lebanon,” said this 74-year-old woman, her voice filled with sadness.
“The war is unbearable and we have felt its horrors all year long. I was devastated when Israel began bombing Lebanon.
Her grief deepened, she said, after learning of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, killed Friday evening in a large Israeli attack in south Beirut. “I was heartbroken when I found out. Everyone around me, my neighbors, we all hoped it wasn’t true.
As a Palestinian, al-Helou says she will never forget Nasrallah’s unwavering support for her people. “Nasrallah has been with us throughout his life, always challenging Israel. I remember his speeches on television. They were a source of strength. His loss is immense.
“We don’t know what they want to stop the war. They killed Ismail Haniyeh, they killed many personalities.
Today, she said, “we feel alone in the face of a tyrannical war machine.”
“Nasrallah was with us”
Zaki Sheikh Khalil, 64, shared similar sentiments. “Nasrallah was with us when others abandoned us,” he said. “All those who supported us, regardless of their nationality or religion, we will mourn their loss or death. »
He acknowledged that not everyone in the region feels the same way.
“Some say that Nasrallah is Shia, not Sunni, and that he has caused differences and divisions in Syria, but whatever the differences, we will continue to remember Nasrallah who stood in front of Israel in support Gaza,” he said. said.
“The enemy is one and Israel is our enemy and the killing of Nasrallah is a victory for him,” he added.
Reflecting on Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Khalil, who has been displaced five times, expressed deep sadness. “What is happening in Lebanon reflects our suffering in Gaza – bombings, destruction, displacement. Seeing them endure what we endured is unbearable. Worse still is the indifference of the world.
“It is unbearable for us to see a defenseless civilian people subjected to the same calamities as us,” he said. “We are very sad for Lebanon because it faces the same fate because it stood with Gaza and said ‘no’ to Israel.
“Numb to everything”
For Hiba Murad, 36, a mother of five, Nasrallah’s death left her paralyzed.
“The war numbed my feelings about everything,” she said with a broad smile. “I lost my feelings towards a lot of things. My life is unbearable.
Murad stressed that her indifference does not mean she is not sad about Nasrallah’s death – she is really sad about everything that is happening around her, she explained – but that she feels a feeling of helplessness.
“I spend my day laughing at everything. Everything around me is ridiculous and pitiful. We live in a world without morals and feelings,” she said.
Asked about Israel’s actions, Murad noted: “They claim to target leaders like Haniyeh and Nasrallah to defeat Hamas and Hezbollah, but they continue to attack civilians. We are the ones who suffer, not just the leaders.
“What is left for Israel now? Israel only uses certain names and certain prisoners in Gaza as an excuse to continue its massacres and crimes against the population, and in the end, we are the victims. »
After Nasrallah’s assassination, Murad said she no longer ruled out the possibility that Israel knew the location of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, but was delaying targeting him to reap more destruction. under the pretext of looking for him.
“Unfortunately, Israel has political and international immunity to do anything. We have lost hope in anyone who supports us in Gaza, because the price is known.
“Anyone who supports Gaza will suffer the same fate as Nasrallah and Lebanon. »