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Palestinians in Gaza Strip express solidarity with Ukrainians amid Russian invasion

Palestinians in Gaza Strip express solidarity with Ukrainians amid Russian invasion
Gazans have been following closely Russia's "aggression" against Ukrainian families, adding it is similar to the Israeli wars against Palestinians in the besieged encalve.

2 min read
27 February, 2022
Russia attacked Ukraine on Thursday [Getty]

Palestinians in the besieged have closely followed  against the people of Ukraine, drawing comparisons to their own experiences with the Israeli occupying forces, which has carried out several attacks against the impoverished coastal enclave. 

Speaking to °®Âþµº, locals in Gaza expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people on Saturday.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, Gaza-based citizen Hadya al-Husary, said she's been following the updates minute-by-minute.

The mother-of-six told °®Âþµº she feels sadness over the Ukrainian crisis. "Unfortunately, the civilians who pay the cost of the war (…) When I see the war-jets flying over the residential building, I remember the Israeli airplanes when they attacking our area and killing our people," the mother of six said. 

As Gazans, she said, "We know very well what war means. It means fear, and dread of inevitable death at any moment. War means that you may lose your loved ones at any moment without being able to save them."

Since 2007, the coastal enclave has been under a tight Israeli blockade, after Hamas took control of the territory following success in elections in 2006. 

Israel, which considers Hamas a terror group, launched four large-scale military operations against the Gaza Strip between 2008 and 2021.

"Only those who live under endless wars can imagine what it means to be racing with death," Wael al-Ashy, a Gaza resident, told °®Âþµº

"The war is painful," he said. "It means victims die, families are displaced, and even soldiers defend their country and pay the price with their lives."

He added: "War is a dialogue between leaders, but the real price is paid by the blood of humanity. There is nothing good in war, nothing at all." 

Both al-Husary and al-Ashy called on the civilians to demonstrate against the Russian aggression against Ukraine by launching online solidarity campaigns. 

"We may be different in race, religion, and language, but we are all humans," Ashy said, adding that “We all express our soldiery with the Ukrainian people."

Husary added: "We hope that the Russian war would end soon, so civilians in Ukraine can return to their lives."

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