Ulla Souri

Gaza awoke to the tragedy of a collapsed residential building damaged by Israeli bombing, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people and injuries to others. Approximately 100 people remain trapped under the rubble, and civil defense teams are working with limited resources to try to reach them, as Israel prevents the entry of necessary equipment. #Photo

How painful it is that my child Yamen’s first day of school—a day I had hoped would be filled with joy and excitement—turned into a day of fear and terror. On that first day, a location right next to the school was bombed. I was left feeling helpless and terrified, desperate to do something. I couldn't reach the school because the roads had become too dangerous; all I could do was contact the school and wait, not knowing what was happening to my child. After contacting them, I learned that the school was evacuating the students by car—a scene some of you might have seen on the news as the children were being transported. Yamen was in a terrible state, visibly overcome with fear. As a father, I didn't know how to handle the situation or what to say to a child who was supposed to come home from his first day telling me about his teacher and friends, only to return instead in a state of terror. I had hoped Yamen’s first day would be a beautiful memory to cherish for years to come, but instead, it became a day I wish I could forget forever. Oh Lord, keep Yamen and all our children safe; protect them from fear and harm. Oh God, grant them the safety they have been denied, watch over them with Your care, and restore peace and joy to their hearts. How bittersweet it is to be a father—seeing fear in your child's eyes and being unable to do anything but hold him close and pray to God to protect him. — Moamen, the father