As Israel continues its air strikes on Gaza, and Hamas fires rockets into Israel, here’s how it affects ordinary people. Sheera Frenkel reports from Israel, and Abeer Ayyoub from Gaza.
Ne'ema Hazem, 12: "Life under wars is so hard, because there are people being killed every day and most of them are children as young as me. They haven't lived their time yet."
"Life under wars is so hard, because there are people being killed every day and most of them are children as young as me. They haven't lived their time yet.
I always think, When will this stop? I want to live a normal life. Sixty-six years of occupation is too much, and 12 years of attacks is too much. I don’t want to leave my county, I only wish it was a safe place to live.
My friend Shahed's father was killed by Israelis before she was even born; she always talks about how hard it’s been to never see your father. She says that if she had seen him just one time, it would have been enough. So her mother used Photoshop to create a picture of her and her father, so that she could have a normal photo like every girl has. Shahed's experience makes me worry about my own father, what would happen if he was killed by an Israeli air strike?
I started to have a phobia of loud sounds; when I hear a door being slammed, I scream. I always think it might be an air strike. Even fireworks became scary for me."
Abeer Ayyoub
Aviva Beigel, 60: "I've been living in fear for most of my life. For how long will this go on?"
"I'm 60 and I'm just so sick of all of this violence, all of this war. I remember when I was just a baby they were building the first shelters in Tel Aviv. Now, decades later, we are still running to hid in them? That's not a way to live.
I've been living in fear for most of my life. For how long will this go on? I don't want anyone to die, but I want our army to do what it takes so that the rocket attacks stop. That's what every Israeli is saying to themselves right now, saying to the army and to our leaders: Stop talking and do what it takes to end the rockets.
I don't want my children or my chidren's children to have to run for shelter the way I had to my whole life."
Sheera Frenkel
Bisan Shehada, 26, journalist: "Israel is the one to blame for starting all the violence in the area. Palestinians will never stay silent in the face of the Israeli occupation."
"I feel I’m a hostage because I have nothing to do with the crazy ongoing conflict. That doesn’t mean that I don't support the resistance, I support it as a kind of self-defense. But I always argue that there are unbalanced powers here and that Israel is causing many casualties and increasing the number of victims. The innocent people are the only ones who are paying the price.
We are people who love and pray for nothing other than peace. But Israel is the one to blame for starting all the violence in the area. Palestinians will never stay silent in the face of the Israeli occupation.
Life under rockets is terrifying. Women, children are being killed every day. I can’t sleep, I can’t go to the toilet, I can’t live normally. Every time I go to my office, my heart beats quickly. Israel doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians. What’s the guilt I committed to deserve such a life? Why does my 15-year-old have to live under this horror when his biggest dream is to be a football player? He’s always worried he will be killed before he achieves his dream."
Abeer Ayyoub
Shahar Amit, 26, student: "I watch everyone around me be afraid; that's not a way to live."
"I live in Sderot, one of the areas that's been hardest hit by the rockets. Do you know what its like to have rockets rain down on you regularly? Almost every month, almost every week? It's terrible, you never fully feel calm. I watch everyone around me be afraid; that's not a way to live.
I was injured as a soldier in 2008, when I fought in Operation Cast Lead. Look here, on my arm — that's a shrapnel wound. There were others in my unit that were much more badly hurt. Now I ask myself, Why did we go in there? Why did I get wounded and others die if we were just going to keep fighting the same war again and again? It doesn't make any sense.
I'm not bloodthirsty. I'm not a killer. I don't want innocent people to get killed. But I want the IDF to go in there and wipe out Hamas, wipe out any person that fires rockets on us so that we can sleep in peace at night. I know that might sound like a horrible thing to say, but I've been living like this, under rockets for too long."
Sheera Frenkel
