People walk on rubble in the aftermath of a strike amid the conflict with Israel in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 12, 2023.
Credit: Reuters Photo
On October 7, as Hamas announced the beginning of a new "military operation" against Israel, Jaideep Kaur's family found themselves in the midst of a harrowing situation as sirens blared in Tel Aviv; their story serving as a poignant reminder of the human faces caught in war zones.
Jaideep Kaur (30) and her husband, Mohit Randhawa (32), an IIT graduate, were abruptly awakened by a wail of sirens after Hamas's surprise attack on that fateful Saturday. Shortly after, they were rushed to a nearby bunker at the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, with only a few necessary belongings, Kaur, an expecting mother, told TOI.
"On October 7, around 6.30am, the shrieking sound jolted us out of slumber. Within no time we were made to vacate our accommodations and move to a nearby shelter on the university campus (of Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research)."
The couple did find safety from the bombs and rockets raining down in the bunker, but hoped for a safe return to India.
Narrating her ordeal, she further told the publication that there were 50 people in the bunker seeking shelter from the bombs from Gaza.
Kaur also said she was due to take a flight to India for her delivery at her parent's home in UP's Amroha on October 12, but the attack threw a wrench in their plans.
"Thankfully, we had Wi-Fi inside the shelter and could see videos and news of the horrific attack. My husband took away the phone and later allowed me to watch only web series but no news in order to prevent me from anxiety considering my pregnancy," she said.
"We pray everything becomes normal and we get to meet our family in India soon. We cannot talk to them on the phone or WhatsApp, FaceTime is the only option available as of now", she added.
Stranded in South Israel's Sde Boker, not far from Gaza Strip, Kaur, her husband, and their three-year-old daughter wait anxiously.
Back in Amroha, Kaur's family breathed a sigh of relief when they finally heard from their daughter after days of worry.
Kaur's father, Surendra Singh Dhillon, has appealed to the Indian government to evacuate those stranded in the war-torn country.