Running from the bombers

Khan Younis: "We could hear their bodies burning," Fadia Al Najjar said, struggling to complete the sentence. The 27-year-old was recounting the night of terror she and her family endured as Israeli planes poured DIME (Dense Inert Metal Explosive) munitions on residents of Khan Younis on Sunday night.

"We were terrified. We thought we were going to burn to death," she said.

Fadia and her husband Ganem, a paramedic, are residents of the Khaza'a neighbourhood of the city.

As the bombing raid began, Ganem had been dispatched to attend to the injured but he himself suffered serious injuries after inhaling the corrosive white smoke from the bombs.

"Neighbours were screaming, asking for help; fires were spreading everywhere," Fadia said. "I woke my kids up and got them to my parents' house, hoping they would be safe there. When we reached my parents' place, the bombs followed us there too. The top floor of the house was completely razed." It's not just her husband Fadia has to care for. She must also reassure her hospitalised children.

Bilal Badwan is a journalist based in Gaza.