A Canadian man trapped in Gaza with his family says Israeli bombs that used to drop every hour when the war between Israel and Hamas started are now dropping relentlessly every few minutes. Palestinians look for survivors of the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Hatem Ali
A Canadian man in Gaza says Israeli airstrikes that were previously heard roughly every hour can now be heard every few minutes as the Israel-Hamas war escalates.
Mansour Shouman says Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has grown relentless recently, and even locations where civilians were previously advised to take refuge are not safe.
The sounds of explosions can be heard in the background as Shouman says he narrowly escaped an airstrike near the southern Gaza hospital complex where he has been taking shelter.
He also says that small shipments of aid that were twice allowed into Gaza over the weekend have barely made a dent in the massive need for essentials.
Israel has still not allowed any fuel to enter Gaza, where there has been a power blackout for nearly two weeks since Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israeli communities.
Israel is expected to launch a ground offensive in Gaza and says it has stepped up airstrikes in order to reduce the risk to troops in the next stages.
Shouman, who was born in Gaza, used to live in Calgary and moved with his family to the Middle East in 2006, says he has been trying to raise awareness about the humanitarian toll the war is taking.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2023.
