Kemal Zorlak
24 November 2023•Update: 24 November 2023
ZENICA, Bosnia Herzegovina
Nowhere in Gaza is safe and Israel only targets civilians and children, said a 55-year-old Palestinian man who was recently evacuated from the enclave.
Nabil El-Tanany is a dual citizen of Palestine and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He arrived in Bosnia during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war and started a family.
After 23 years of building a family with his Bosnian wife, he decided to visit his family in Gaza on Sept. 15.
''I planned to stay for one month, but the attacks started just before I returned back to Bosnia,'' said El-Tanany.
He recounted what he witnessed in Gaza since Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
''Nowhere in Gaza is safe. Every night, only the sound of bombs gets louder. Children cry because of the sound of bombs. There is not a single peaceful moment,'' he said.
El-Tanany said that people in Gaza live in constant fear of death and try to survive without water, electricity and food.
"I was in the north of Gaza, in our family home. There were bombardment sounds every day. We saw the planes passing over us. There were so many bombs being dropped that...we couldn't breathe easily.”
El-Tanany’s father, two brothers and two sisters and their families live in Gaza.
"When we went out, we saw that many places around our house had been destroyed. We ventured further out to understand what had happened. There was dust and smoke everywhere. Suddenly, we started to see pieces of people. One hundred and twelve people lost their lives in the massacre that took place there that day. Among them were my acquaintances and friends,'' he said.
El-Tanany said Israel targets only civilians and children.
"Everywhere was in ruins. They told us to go to Jabalia. However, they attacked there too. My relatives' house was also bombed. They were all destroyed.”
El-Tanany said he felt very bad when leaving Gaza and his family.
"I constantly think about what will happen to those I left behind. My father is 92 years old. I try to be in constant communication with my family, but it is very difficult. When we hear their voices, even a single second is enough.”
El-Tanany arrived home on Monday and was welcomed back by his wife Fata and two daughters with tears on their faces.
He constantly worries for the people of Gaza and his family.
*Talha Ozturk contributed to this story from Belgrade, Serbia
