‘The missiles represented hope’: Palestinians in Gaza react to Iran bombing Israel

TEXT SLIDE:

On Friday, June 13, after Israeli airstrikes struck Iran, Iran launched a retaliatory barrage of missiles at Israel, hitting targets in Tel Aviv.

Palestinians watched Iran’s bombs fall on Israel from across the militarized border separating the Gaza Strip from Israel. The Real News spoke with Gazans, who continue to endure genocidal violence and forced starvation at the hands of Israel, about their reactions to Iran’s airstrikes. 

RADIO REPORT:

It has been en route for one hour and will land in a few moments, and emotions are high, not just in support but because of Israel’s actions. 

RAJA NADA ABU HAJAR: 

May God bless them. First and foremost. Iran. Because they have stood with the Palestinians. May God stand with all of us and end the war on us both. I saw them. What did you see? I saw the missiles going across, here. What did you feel? I saw them! What did you feel? We felt joy! May God give them victory over all who fight them! Everyone felt happy. People were shouting with joy, that someone is defending Palestine. That there’s someone who stands with us. 

IMAD HARB DAWAS: 

The war between Israel and Iran is a private war between Israel and Iran. Nuclear reactors, uranium enrichment… Whoever thinks that Iran is going to war for the people of Palestine is confused. This war has other military dimensions, a war between Israel and Iran. Of course, we saw the missiles, and we and all the people were hopeful, that the military pressure— of course, our poor people are confused, they hope for an end to the war. The missiles represented hope: that maybe the war on Gaza might finally end. 

JALIL MUSTAFA REZG FIRDAWS: 

Honestly I felt, please God, just push Israel back a bit. That they might leave us alone, a little. My one and only hope is to go and sit on top of the ruins of my house, nothing more. I want nothing. Just to sit on the ruins of my house. That’s it. Killing, death, hunger and displacement. Evacuated from here to there. They’ve gone to war with Iran and forgotten about us. We don’t know our fate, what’s going to happen to us? 

RAJA NADA ABU HAJAR: 

You leave your home not knowing if you will find the rest of your family alive or dead. You leave thinking maybe there will be a strike on the street and you’ll die. This war is not normal: It’s total destruction, not war. War is not like this. We experienced many wars, but we never saw anything like this. 

IMAD HARB DAWAS: 

The Israelis are deliberately starving us. They cut off the internet, so we couldn’t communicate to the rest of the world about the starvation, it’s a war on journalists and on journalism everywhere. Air traffic over Iran and Israel in the wake of escalation is now almost non-existent. 

JALIL MUSTAFA REZG FIRDAWS: 

Honestly the lack of internet has had a big impact on us. We want the world to hear our voices, to see us. We want the world to see us in reality, not just on the news. No: We want

those outside to see how we’re living. We don’t want them to see fabricated news reports. We need the internet to also hear the news from outside. Just like the world should hear us, we want to hear what’s happening in the world: Who is standing with us, who isn’t? Who’s defending us, who isn’t? Where is the Arab world?