The 60 minute watch of ‘The Word BBC How to Survive a War Zone’ documentary, has been splendid in both realms-the tangible and the digital, notwithstanding the fact that BBC officials withdrew it, after a backlash, for the ‘due diligence’ that BBC did not disclose Abdullah Al Yazouri, its narrator, as the son of Hamas Agriculture Minister Ayman Al Yazouri, a fact freely available in the public domain. Why would BBC hazard such a blot on its reputation, otherwise known for its academic and editorial brilliance? Perhaps, BBC could not fathom to ‘ really stand’, for the real-time sufferings of the people of Gaza, which happened and continue to happen, in this otherwise modern world, which often harangues over human rights too ( sic).
Gaza’s life took to a turn on October 7, 2023, after Palestine Hamas attacked Israel which left 1200 dead and 251 hostages taken by Hamas. Israel declared a war on Gaza after it. Abdullah (13) is shown in a ruined house, ‘Be careful, might injure your sole (soul)’. In the next few seconds, your attention is arrested, as what all is to ensure, is to be devastating. ‘’Most important. Could you stay alive. So let me tell you our story. Who knows one day you might need it’’, avers Abdullah. This story through lens will now take you to a tour of devastated Gaza, where fire, death and destruction, fell on earth. The best angle this documentary has entailed is the perspective of children and women, and people’s zeal to survive the Israel ‘genocide’, as accused by South Africa. A term BBC could not dare use.
A trip to a world i.e. Gaza strip, which is 25 miles by 6 miles, haunted by death and untold gloom on its two million inhabitants, is set to unfold. Gaza was divided by Israel into 623 blocks. Abdullah lives in block 90, had studied in the best British school, is now surrounded by people trying to find the hard jobs; to find drinkable water and selling in stores to find a living. Abdullah revisits his grandfather’s house where once 40 people lived, turned into rubble, laments the once colorful ambience but now a grave. He had been displaced four-times earlier too.
The Khan Younis camp is shown. People are engaged into a yet again exodus from Khan Younis as evacuation-orders from Israel had blurted-out. Bare belongings on their heads, infants clutched to their mothers, heat and dust, fear and rage in every eye, curses on Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, to have invited Israel wrath, wailing and crying, in all its actuality, can be felt. Children telling how they would just see corpses, their guts out of their stomach. Imagine the stink of lifeless bodies left under the sun! The ensuing diseases. Yet, children desperation trying to find a safe place, searching their lost-fathers, with no elders around. The feeling is heart wrenching.
At 7:23 minutes, starts the story from block 151. Enters 10 years old, Renad. She lives in her own destroyed house. Had started an online cooking show, to relieve her depression. There was to be no school no play. She smiles at 8:33 which may make a thousand lilies bloom. As she warms milk, a bomb explodes, her expression turns into fear. She would then say they had got used to it. Bombs even in the middle of the night do not scare. She would pretend to sleep when Israel quadcopter, which rains bombs, starts to shoot. She makes a cake, chuckles and gives a reason for the world to smile. She could achieve one million Instagram followers. That was after 245 days of war.
At 11:30, Israel fighter jets, hovering in the sky, captured live by camera, attack Al Bureij camp from above on the hapless old, young, women on wheelchair , girls et al. People getting shot live by bullets, falling, carried on hands, as herein comes the savior, Zakariya (11 years) , a hero par excellence. If there is to be a noble prize for humanity (children category) it is for him. People literally painted in dust and blood can be seen walking, while camera moves towards Al Aqsa hospital in block 128, which later is also to be bombed. Sheikh Yasin, the founder of Hamas, graffiti on Gaza walls can also be seen.
Zakariya with medical gloves opens an ambulance himself, takes out patients, which he keeps on doing and doing. Israel forces were on massacring spree. Zakariya runs to save people. His zeal, all shown live, can render inferior even the hardest peddler of human rights. He washed the blood splattered ambulances, transports the dead and kids, rests in tents with paramedics staff, and wants to be become a paramedic himself. Remember Rouzan? The paramedic nurse shot down by Israel bullet in 2018! In the Israel attack 9 hostages were rescued and 274 Gazans were killed. At 17:58 Israel’s bomb makes a huge crater, 19 lay dead, children desperately trying to figure-out the dead bodies, exposed to flesh, blood and bones, it is nauseating, it was time when Israel had deployed ‘Lavender and Where’s Daddy, its artificial intelligence killing machines into practice, for any indiscriminate killing. At 19:16 a baby girl is born, a smile occurs to a 24 old mother Ra’ad , deserted by her husband, who was caught in drugs, jailed, later released by Hamas, after the outbreak of war. The mother looked calm, not hysteric, despite the surroundings so filled with blood splattered bones, cries and wails over dead children.
Zakariya story is unmatched. He moves stretcher eight times a day, to off-beat his frustration he swims too, goes to meet his mother and grandmother, carry for her some sweet-nuts, no wonder Zakariya had long abandoned his childhood and attained age 40. He had seen 5000 bodies. His sister gets married. Day 323 passed as more people get killed in displacement camp. Bodies unearthed from rubble, bodies in polythene bags, while Zakariya cleans the blood. A surgeon performs the hardest surgery of his life, amputate a hand of a boy, his fingers hang in air, the site leaves you numb. On day 330 polio vaccination to babies is administered. The dedication of people to survive is saluteable. Viewer’s discretion warning should have been there.
At 42:00 Iran launches missiles into Israel. A wave of happiness occurs to Gazans. Renad gets jittery as a new war may start again. At 46:00 live bombing on a shaken camera, from Israel Apache helicopters, can be felt, pressure is palpable. Israel denied any such attack. Five days later, Israel bombed right outside the hospital at 1 am, people half burnt ran out, fumes billowed to the sky, 6 get killed, 70 injured. Al Aqsa hospital is targeted for the 10th time, which Israel claimed had a Hamas command center below. At 54:20 Yahya Sinwar is killed. Who was touted to be living in a fancy apartment? He fought to his last ounce of blood. The news splashed. Ra’ad, despite all the ills around takes pride, her voice turned hoarse, lauds him as a Mujahid (fighter). At 55:00 an infant is fed with milk. A new Sinwar born? Life is lifeless as bombs drop on safe zones. Renad looked terrified. Children so pure and so innocent, with their parents are all churned into a furnace. Day 466, January 15, 2025, ceasefire is announced. Jubilation happens. Renad laughs along with her left cheek dimple. Children celebrate. Hostage exchange starts. The end takes place with a yearning that Gaza becomes what it was. Even better. The two cameramen on daily basis deserve special kudos i.e. Amjad Foyumi and Ibrahim Abu Ishabia. Hoyo Films for The Word BBC, was produced and directed by Yousef Hammash and Jamie Roberts.
Post Script: Gaza is now set to be worse on March 19, 2025, it is reported that Israel has renewed its bombing and more than 400 children have perished. A new geo-political situation has emerged. Russia and Iran supported Bashar Al Asad has abandoned Syria. Turkey and other 22 Arab states, who rummaged just to the US/Israel gallery, from October 7, 2023 onwards, have bludgeoned head choppers Hayat Tahrir Al Sham into Syria. Holocaust is now in place against Al Asad loyalists while western media, looks the other way. Ahmed Al Joulani, the HTS head, a designated terrorist, is a media darling.
The Muslim world or the Islamic world is defining a new deafening silence on thousands of dead bodies which lay dead on Syrian streets. Russia and Iranian stakes were gone from Syria. Israel within 48 hours to it had bombed 90% of Syrian naval bases etc, taken chunks of Syrian land, after 50 years. Al Joulani instead attack Iran supported Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel also attacks Hezbollah. Priorities are now into new shape. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stuck muted since so long, took time to play ‘friend’ with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, to forge ceasefire with Russia. Israel firing and killing on regular basis is taking place in West Bank, Palestine too. KSA, the head of the Islamic block, is more concerned towards organizing the football world cup in 2034.
Haider Abbas is a former UP State Information Commissioner and a film reviewer.
