RAFAH, Palestinian Territories: Tears in his eyes, Mohammed Al-Sabbagh shouts into a mobile phone, imploring his niece on the other end to “be strong” as she languishes under rubble in Gaza.
The call was made near the start of a three-day ordeal for the girl, 15-year-old Hala Hazem Hamada, who was finally rescued on Tuesday after a deadly encounter with Israeli soldiers that claimed the lives of six relatives including her parents.
The bloodshed began on Saturday, when Israeli troops descended on the residential complex where Hala’s family, originally from northern Gaza, had sought refuge outside the territory’s southern city of Khan Yunis.
The Israeli military had said it was raiding “terrorist infrastructure” in the area and taking suspected “terrorists” into custody.
Hala told AFP that soldiers had called out on a loudspeaker asking residents to leave, but before she and her family could do so, “the house started collapsing on us,” levelled by bulldozers.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
“Snipers targeted everyone in the family except my sister and me,” she said.
“My sister Basant told me, ‘I’m scared, save me. I can’t move. The rubble is on my feet, and my father is on my leg. I can’t move’.”
Then Basant went silent, leaving Hala alone to wait out the long hours before her rescue. Basant, 19, was among the six dead.
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.
The retaliatory Israeli campaign has killed at least 30,717 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
As Hala waited, an AFP journalist filmed Mohammed Al-Sabbagh offering words of support over the phone.
“Stay safe and stay strong. If there is something around you, eat it to keep you steadfast until we reach you,” he said.
“I swear to God, we don’t know how to reach you... (but) we’re trying to reach you. Don’t worry, we will come to you.”
The updates from Hala were grim.
“My father is covered in blood. He was breathing but not anymore,” she said.
On Wednesday, Hala described her rescue, speaking to AFP from a hospital bed in the southernmost city of Rafah.
“They started removing the debris and cutting the iron bars until they pulled me out. When they pulled me out, they put me on a stretcher,” she said.
Though she suffered no major injuries, she was trying to recover physically after so much time without food or water, while also grappling with the massive trauma and loss she experienced.
“I survived, but I want to see my family for the last time,” she said.
“I saw my sister and father, but they have not been pulled out yet. They are still under the rubble. I want to see them to at least say goodbye.”
Gaza girl emerges from rubble days after Israeli raid killed family
https://arab.news/cvccj
Gaza girl emerges from rubble days after Israeli raid killed family
- The bloodshed began on Saturday, when Israeli troops descended on the residential complex where Hala’s family, had sought refuge outside the territory’s southern city of Khan Yunis
Qatari minister reaffirms support for Lebanon, calls stability a regional priority
- Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi said Lebanon remains key foreign policy priority, reveals economic, development and humanitarian measures
- US ambassadors to Lebanon, Israel meet in Jordan to discuss peace efforts amid latest escalations
BEIRUT: Qatar’s Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi on Monday reaffirmed Doha’s support for Lebanon during a meeting with President Joseph Aoun.
In a press conference he said that “Lebanon’s stability is a fundamental pillar for the stability of the entire region” and announced a package of economic, development and humanitarian measures.
The Qatari minister’s visit to Beirut coincided with Israeli military escalation in southern Lebanon, including the assassination of Hezbollah members by drones, incursions into the border area, and the demolition of more residences.
While the date for the meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (Mechanism) agreement has yet to be confirmed, the US Embassy in Lebanon said in a press release on Monday that Washingt’s ambassadors to Beirut and Israel met in Jordan to discuss peace efforts through diplomacy and dialogue.
The meeting, hosted by the US Embassy in Amman last weekend, focused on the steps needed to achieve a more peaceful and prosperous region.
The visit by Qatar’s minister to Lebanon was made “upon the instructions of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani,” according to Aoun’s media office.
“It is crucial to involve Lebanon in regional discussions, and Qatar is keen on this matter, as well as on following the situation in the country, especially the internal developments, Israeli attacks, the work of the committee, the dialogue, and efforts to find the necessary solutions,” Al-Khulaifi said.
Aoun expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Qatari minister for the visit and initiatives.
He said that the Lebanese military is carrying out its duties south of the Litani River in full, while Israeli attacks on southern villages and towns continue, destroying residential areas and displacing residents, at times extending to villages in the Bekaa Valley.
“Israel has not responded to repeated calls to abide by the agreement announced in November 2024 and implement Resolution 1701. This Israeli stance prevents the return of security and safety to the south, in addition to its repercussions on all levels,” he stated.
Aoun revealed that “contacts are ongoing before the meeting of the Mechanism committee scheduled for next month to reach practical results that will expedite the restoration of stability to the south, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of prisoners, and enable the army to deploy to the internationally recognized southern border.”
He stressed that “pressuring Israel to facilitate the work of the Mechanism committee is essential to achieving the full implementation of Resolution 1701 in all its aspects.”
Aoun also spoke about the Lebanese military’s “need for equipment, vehicles, and supplies that would enable it to carry out its required tasks not only in the south but throughout all Lebanese territory.”
Regarding relations with Syria, Aoun affirmed that the situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border is better than before, and that negotiations are ongoing between the two countries to address several issues, particularly the return of Syrian refugees.
He added that Lebanon welcomes any Arab support in general, and Qatari support in particular, to help facilitate this return.
Al-Khulaifi also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and in a joint press conference stressed “the necessity for all parties to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and respect the full sovereignty of the Lebanese Republic over its territory.
“We reiterate our complete condemnation of the Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, which constitute an infringement on the sovereignty of our sister nation, Lebanon, and we emphasize the need for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities to stop these violations and to preserve Lebanon’s stability,” he said.
The minister announced a Qatar Fund for Development package — coordinated with Lebanese authorities within legal frameworks — including a $40 million grant and $360 million economic project to bolster Lebanon’s electricity sector, benefiting 1.5 million people nationwide.
Other measures include 185 scholarships over three years for Lebanese youth, the Sports for Development and Peace initiative to protect 4,400 children and young people in conflict areas, and reconstruction of Beirut’s Karantina Hospital, destroyed in the port explosion, with further health projects under review.
Qatar will also fund a $20 million first phase, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, to support the voluntary return of 100,000 Syrian refugees. It guarantees housing upon return, plus three months of food and medicine to ensure stability and social reintegration.
“We thank the Syrian government for its constructive cooperation in facilitating the implementation of this humanitarian and development project,” the minister said.
Elsewhere on Monday, the Syrian Internal Security Directorate said it thwarted an attempt to smuggle missiles and ammunition through the Syrian town of Breij into Lebanon, according to SANA.
Breij, located east of Talkalakh on the border with Lebanon’s Akkar region, is considered a smuggling hub, according to a Lebanese security source.
