Bombings hit the Gaza Strip again last night. The war between Israel and Hamas enters its fourteenth day this Friday, October 20. In the Palestinian enclave, more than 3,500 people were killed according to a report established by Hamas. And the inhabitants of this now besieged territory hope to see the arrival of a first convoy of humanitarian aid. In Israel, authorities continue to identify victims of attacks carried out by Hamas commandos on October 7, when more than 1,400 people were killed in a few hours. These attacks have marked all of Israeli society and residents are trying to adapt to a new situation.
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With our special envoys in Jerusalem, Nicolas Benita And Guilhem Delteil
Jessica is a divorced mother. She lives alone with her five children. And since October 7, she has been trying to find a balance between normality and safety.
“ Knowing that Hamas used means that it had never used before, I close the door more than before, because even if it did not happen in Jerusalem, we do not know what they are capable ofshe confides. Now, staying at home also creates more panic than anything else. »
To panic would be to give in to Hamas, Jessica believes. But this Franco-Israeli forty-year-old nevertheless intends to remain cautious. The shelter of his building had been transformed into a cellar. She undertook to restore it to its original function: “ Everything is moldy, it’s a real trash, that’s really it, it’s inaccessible. Indeed, I called the town hall, there were services that were put [en place] all over the country to help us empty these shelters, clean everything up. »
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Jessica’s family lives in France and is worried about her and her children. The option of a temporary return to Paris was also mentioned. “ They are worried, that’s for sure, they have already spoken to me about possibly returning. They have contacts that would allow me to return to France with my children, but they are aware that, in any case, I will not do it overnight, that I will not do it like that, that it is not simple. »
For now, Jessica has no plans to leave Jerusalem. The situation would have to deteriorate, she indicates. Because for her, “ despite everything that happens to us, as Jews, where we will be best protected is in Israel. »
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