Crossing the border: Palestinians’ journeys of war and survival
MSF colleagues share stories of displacement, resilience and hope amid Gaza conflict
The road leading south to the city of Rafah, near Gaza’s border with Egypt, is lined with destruction. Wherever you look, the scene is unrecognizable. Most people in Gaza have been displaced multiple times, forced to leave one shelter after another in the hope that the next place would be safe. But nowhere was safe. Many staff members from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) made the journey from their homes in Gaza to Rafah, and some crossed the border into Egypt to seek refuge there or elsewhere. Here are some of their stories.
Following the unprecedented attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, when up to 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage, Israeli forces pursued an all-out war on people in Gaza. The slaughter was unmitigated, and the Israeli bombings spared no one and nothing – not even medical facilities or humanitarian safe zones.
Nisreen carries her life in a bag
Early one morning in October, MSF health promoter Nisreen Abu Rouk had a feeling that something frightening was about to happen. At first, she thought it was the sound of skirmishes, which she was used to hearing, but it soon became clear that this was much more serious. Forced to leave behind her husband and her home in Gaza, she fled south, carrying her son in her arms and one hastily packed bag. This is her story, in her own voice.
Shattered lives: Mohamad’s journey
As the war intensified, displacement became a cruel part of life. Families fled their ruined homes, seeking refuge wherever they could – schools, mosques, even the open streets. MSF physiotherapist Mohamad Ghazali joined the people fleeing in search of safety. On his journey, he faced many challenges, including relocating seven times. This is his story.
Faced with a hard choice: Will Ruba stay or leave?
Many people faced difficult decisions about whether to stay or go. For MSF doctor Ruba Al Kurd, the decision was made for her when she was obliged to leave for Egypt at a moment’s notice as caretaker for her medically evacuated son. This is her story.
Getting back to normal: Is it possible?
MSF nurse Mohamad Darwish dreams about returning to his life before the war. But after everything he and his family have been through, what is possible is uncertain. This is his story.
The day after: what’s next for Dawoud?
A ceasefire is in place, but for those who crossed the border to Egypt or elsewhere, the journey is far from over. Now our colleagues, including MSF maintenance supervisor Dawoud El Sayed, face another agonizing decision: to return to the rubble of their homes and rebuild, or to stay in the place where they found refuge and try to build a new life. Dawoud lost 36 family members during the war but is adamant that he wants to return to Gaza. Is it truly a choice? This is his story.
This is the journey that some MSF staff members from Gaza were forced to take. After years of working with MSF to serve their communities, to stand beside them through every hardship, they found themselves caught up in the same desperate search for survival. The war took almost everything from them – but not the responsibility to bear witness.
For people in Gaza to rebuild their lives, and for those Palestinians who left to return, an immediate and massive humanitarian response is needed now.
