This is the tragic story of Darwish Qandil, a 46-year old friend of my father. I recount it in Darwish’s words:
My siblings and I lived in a three-story house in Khan Younis. We stayed in it despite the bombing and explosions we heard around us from the actions of the Israeli military. There were 28 people in the house, including five women, 18 children and five men.
Around 9 am on 5 December 2023, we were surrounded by a barrage of gunfire, so we ran to the basement. We realized that Israeli soldiers had stormed the house when we heard voices speaking in Hebrew and gunshots in the upper apartments.
The soldiers continued firing for 15 minutes. As the gunfire inside the house intensified and the sound of explosions surrounded us, the women started screaming and the children crying. The Israeli occupation forces realized people were in the basement due to the sounds, so they descended and started firing in the basement.
My eldest brother began shouting loudly in English: “We have children and women.”
One of the soldiers responded in English: “How many of you are there?” ….more
