Gaza residents: ‘We don’t know who is alive and who isn’t, there is total destruction,’

Middle East Eye’s correspondent on the ground, Mohammed al-Hajjar, has been speaking to residents in Gaza following the heavy overnight shelling. 

One man, named Abu Mohammed, says their homes were bombed just after dawn this morning, with no prior warning. 

“The mosque next to us was hit, and all of our windows smashed. Until now we don't know who has died and who is alive, there is total destruction,” he added.

Civil defense crews have not been able to reach residential neighbourhoods due to the scale of destruction and blocked roads. 

“We had just finished praying and the children were falling asleep when the bombing happened,” Abu Mohammed added.

“It's been very difficult circumstances, we did not have any time to take anything with us from the house. All I managed to do was take my daughters into my hands and my brothers daughters and leave the house,” he said. 

Another resident, called Amir, says that the bombing occurred from 12am to 6am in the Beit Hanun neighbourhoods of Gaza. 

“We still don’t know who made it out of the bombing alive and who didn’t,” he told MEE. 

The bombing took many of the residents by surprise, who say they did not have time to take cover or find safety. 

“We all felt like we were going to die in that second, no money or possession mattered, we just wanted to get out alive. We don't care about material things, we just want to make sure people are alive,” Abu Mohammed says.