The Decibel - Voices inside Gaza and Israel, in the ‘second stage’ of war

Episode Date: November 1, 2023

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was entering the “second stage” of the war with Hamas. Since then, the Israeli Defense Forces knocked out communication for people living in Gaza for two days, intensified their airstrikes, and started a sustained ground incursion by sending tanks and infantry into northern Gaza.The escalation has intensified international calls for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, In Israel, families of those taken hostage by Hamas are calling on the Israeli government to bring back their loved ones.In today’s episode, we bring you voices of those surviving inside the Israel-Hamas war and how things have changed in this new phase of the conflict. You’ll hear from civilians in Gaza, emergency workers, aid officials and people in Israel who are mourning their loved ones or pleading for their safe return.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [e-mail]

Before we get started, a warning. Today's episode includes some graphic details and sounds of suffering. On October 7th, we were just a happy, normal family trying to make a living. My kids were getting prepared to school. I was preparing breakfasts, bags. They had exams on that day. On the day of one of the most deadly attacks on Israel in its history, life within Gaza also instantly changed. Ruba Al-Kurd remembers that day. On the morning, 2 a.m. of October 8th, we received messages from IDF that we need to evacuate Beit Hanoun, where I live.

And I just received news two days ago that my home is no longer standing, along with all of our memories, our life, our things, because I couldn't bring even clothes to my kids. Ruba is 32. She's a physician with Doctors Without Borders, an independent medical humanitarian organization. She's also the mother of three kids, aged seven, five and two and a half.

Ruba is alone with them in this conflict because her husband has been out helping the injured. It's now October the 30th, I think, or the 29th. I just... It's like we are losing track of time and days, and they're bombing, and they're severe horror and terrifying days and nights. Ruba is one of millions of people stuck in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli forces start a second phase of their war against Hamas.

She survived three weeks of airstrikes. The conflict has also prevented fuel from getting into the territory and has severely restricted water, food and medical supplies. Two days ago, before the telecommunications have been cut. I was in the bathroom and I saw a rocket in the mirror. I thought my son was in the next room and I thought it was coming just next to me. I couldn't think of anything, just saving my son, which make me feel very horrible feeling that I am so selfish that I care only about my family and actually I can't even save him.

Today, we're bringing you to the Gaza Strip and to Israel through the voices of people who are there. To help understand the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the sorrow of the Israeli families and survivors of Hamas' attack on October 7th, and what's changed this past weekend as the second phase of the war is underway. I'm Maina Karaman-Wilms and and this is The Decibel, from the Globe and Mail. This past Saturday is when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this new phase of the war against Hamas. The military pushed forward in the north and east of Gaza City, the biggest city in the territory.

It launched intense airstrikes and began large-scale ground operations. People living in Gaza described the bombardment as the most intense of the war since it began. But according to Netanyahu, the escalation is necessary. Victory over these enemies begins with moral clarity. It means making a moral distinction between the deliberate murder of the innocent and the unintentional casualties that accompany every legitimate war, even the most just war. Netanyahu's announcement came one day after communications, including internet and cell phone services, were abruptly cut off for almost everyone in Gaza. The blackout lasted until Sunday.

Health authorities in Gaza and UN agencies said that it had paralyzed hospitals and further stressed emergency workers, who were already overwhelmed and buckling under the pressures of the war. As you can see now, we are performing surgeries in the corridor of the war. As you can see now, we are performing surgeries in the corridor of the surgical suites because all the suites are full. Mohamed Elroon is a surgeon in a hospital in the north part of Gaza. It's not a big hospital, but it lies on the border directly near the front, and that's why we receive a large number of patients.

We get this large number because it's the only one in the north. The surgeons performing these operations are of course tired and exhausted but someone needed to handle these patients cases. It's also a challenge to get those who are injured to the hospitals as emergency workers and ambulances that still have fuel are in constant demand. We are still in need of volunteers because right now all our ambulances that still have fuel are in constant demand. We are still in need of volunteers because right now all our ambulances are working round the clock. We work all day long at full occupancy. Hence, there is a lack of drivers and paramedics. We hope someone comes forward to help the volunteers because they are working all day

long just like official employees. I have not gone home since the beginning of the war. long just like official employees. I have not gone home since the beginning of the war. I shower here, sleep here, and eat here. I do not go home at all. There are many problems. First of all, the fuel problem. Ambulances are about to go out of order because we have very limited fuel left.

We have problems in communications. We lose connection with the ambulance that leaves here. During the cell phone and internet blackout, the lack of communication meant no one could call for an ambulance. So emergency teams were just going towards the sounds of airstrikes and artillery to find the aftermath. Meanwhile, the UN agency working in the Gaza Strip has said it's very concerned about the situation in the territory.

People in Gaza have reached a breaking point. The levels of desperation, their frustration, their fear, their concern, they have been living under tight, tight siege for more than three weeks. Bombardments continue. They have lost so much. We are asking for a standard and regular flow of supplies, of humanitarian supplies,

including fuel and increase in the number of trucks on these convoys. And we're also calling for a ceasefire. On Sunday, the UN said thousands of people raided four of its warehouses that were holding food and supplies. The raid showed just how desperate people are, how the basics of survival for them and their families are almost nowhere to be found. We heard that a large amount of aid entered Gaza, and the organization said they will increase the aid.

Since we first arrived here 22 days ago, we only got two rounds of aid, two food coupons, each of which is sufficient only for a small child. All of these children are hungry. They can't stand it. Because of the pressure people are under, they stormed into UNRWA warehouses to steal from there, from food to tents. There are no mattresses, no blankets to cover the children with. We did not get anything from the aid that arrived from Egypt. We've been here in the

tents for 20 days. We only got two food coupons. How can this be enough for those in the tents? We only got two coupons. Nothing other than that. We have not seen anything from the aid that you say is entering the Rafah crossing every day. Here's how Hassan Jeber explained what life is like now, as drones buzzed around him. Hassan is a journalist and has worked with the Globe for over a decade. The situation is getting bad and bad. I don't know what will happen in the next minutes. They are shelling everywhere.

They are shelling. They are destroying the houses on the head of the people. No one is safe. يستخدمون المنزل على رأس الناس. لا أحد يكون بأمان. يقتلون الكثير من الناس. People still under the rubble, and no one even have any engine or any way to reach them. We'll be back in a moment. In Israel, there's also suffering. Hadass Calderson is one of the survivors of the October 7th attack by Hamas. This past weekend, she returned home and to her mother's house in the small kibbutz where they'd been living before the attack.

There is nothing left. It's all dark. Both homes are gone. There are only ashes in burnt-out rooms, ashes that used to be books, beds, family photos. They destroyed our house and our life. It was a happy family. Her son, daughter and husband have all been taken hostage by Hamas. Oh God, where are you?

Where have you been? In Tel Aviv, families gathered to support each other and to demand the Israeli government bring back the hostages. Over 230 people are believed to have been taken and are now held somewhere in the Gaza Strip. My daughter was on the Nova Festival on the 7th of October and she heard the shots and the rockets and she tried to escape with her friends with a car and they were stopped by the car by militant people, by the Hamas and they killed one of her friends on the spot and she and her boyfriend were captured.

Since then we don't know, we don't know. We don't know. We heard that she's injured in a hospital, but we don't know for sure. Another woman, Shiri Grossbard, was also there in Tel Aviv. She was representing the Trupanov family, all of whom were killed or taken hostage. Because there's no one else left to stand and speak out for this family, because the entire Trupano family was either kidnapped or murdered. Vitaly, the father, his body was discovered 10 days after this has started in the outskirts

of Gaza. Lena, the mother, was kidnapped along with her mother, Irena. Irena is 73 years old. You can hear the sadness in people's voices and the frustration. I am here to stand with the families and with my people and my message to the government is the same from day one. Bring them home as soon as possible, and it should be very, very soon. The problem is that the person leading this war is a prime minister that does not have the public's trust.

Israel is not Netanyahu, and Israel is who and what we have to defend. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel is who and what we have to defend. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believes the ground invasion is necessary to get the hostages out. But our common assessment of all of the, not only the cabinet members, but also all the security forces and the military, is that the ground action actually creates the possibility, not the certainty, but the possibility of getting our hostages out.

Because Hamas will not do it unless they're under pressure. They simply will not do it. They only do it under pressure. This creates pressure. But we're committed to getting all the hostages back home. We think that this method stands a chance. It's a goal that we're committed to. As Israel's military moves

through the northern part of the Gaza Strip, trying to locate hostages and targeting Hamas, the death toll inside Gaza continues to rise. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 8,500 people have died since the start of the war. Israel says that about 1,400 died in the Hamas attacks on October 7th. The number of people dying

and the growing humanitarian crisis has also led to international calls for a ceasefire, at least to allow humanitarian aid in to help the people of Gaza. So far, Netanyahu has rejected any calls for a pause in the fighting. Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism,

to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen. Well, I'm telling you right now that the future of our civilization is at stake. We have to win this war. We'll do it by minimizing civilian casualties. And may we succeed. While the Israeli military has troops in Gaza, it's been vague about what operations it's actually carrying out in the territory.

Israel says it's focused on Hamas targets, including the vast network of underground tunnels. But it hasn't said how many troops are in Gaza or where exactly they are. It's also unknown how long Israeli troops will be in the territory. Family and friends of the hostages have complained that they haven't been kept informed by their own government. We don't know really what are the reasons to go first to attack or if the negotiations are going on in parallel.

We don't know anything. That's the problem also and that's why we're also here. To get them out there probably must be some, at least some temporary ceasefire. No, we just want it quickly. We want a life sign. We don't even have a life sign. We don't know who's alive, who's not and nobody can give us. Three weeks passed, nobody can give us any information.

Even Red Cross, nobody. And it's very frustrating. It can be challenging to get clear information about the conflict. It's dangerous for journalists. Since the war began, 31 have died, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. There's also still the threat of Hezbollah getting more involved. That's the Iran-backed military group based in Lebanon. And people all over the world are worried that this war could escalate into a bigger conflict.

We also don't know when this war will end, but it doesn't appear to be any time soon. What's even less clear is what will remain of Gaza after the fighting and all the destruction. For people inside Gaza, like Ruba, the biggest question is whether they am going to see the next sunrise or not. Every night it's a struggle starting from sunset till sunrise, praying that if a rocket came that we live as a family together. We are just normal people with normal hopes. We hope that this war ends. We hope that the people and whole world see us as humans, not just numbers. That's it for today. I'm Mainika Raman-Wellms.

A special thanks to Claire Porter-Robbins, Mark McKinnon, Aaron Hagee-McKay, and Mustafa Karma. Our producers are Madeline White, Cheryl Sutherland, and Rachel Levy-McLaughlin. David Crosby edits the show. Adrienne Chung is our senior producer, and Angela Pachenza is our executive editor. Thanks so much for listening,

and I'll talk to you tomorrow.