On October 19, 2023, Gaza resident Mahmoud Shaheen received a call from Israeli intelligence as Israeli airstrikes on Gaza entered their twelfth day. Living in al-Zahra, a northern Gaza neighborhood previously untouched by the violence, he was suddenly thrust into a terrifying role. The caller, speaking in fluent Arabic, ordered Mahmoud to evacuate nearby buildings, issuing a grave warning about targeted bombings.
Despite initial disbelief and warnings from neighbors that the call might be fake, Mahmoud asked for a warning shot, which was fired and confirmed the urgency of the evacuation. Over the next hour, he led a frantic escape, urging hundreds of residents to flee. As the towers were destroyed, he witnessed the obliteration of his neighborhood—a thriving community of modern apartment blocks, parks, and schools—now reduced to rubble.
As night fell, a second call ordered further evacuations, this time targeting an entire row of towers. With no electricity, people filled the streets, grabbing only essential items. Mahmoud continued to guide his neighbors, even as his phone battery drained. With each new bombing, the anonymous voice on the line informed him of the next target.
By dawn, the bombing had subsided, but Mahmoud’s community was shattered. While his building survived, the entire neighborhood’s infrastructure was devastated. Forced to relocate, Mahmoud reflects on the loss of his home and community, now left in ruins amidst Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
