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It took Suzan Beseiso four attempts before she was finally able to leave the Gaza Strip. On the way to the border with Egypt, the woman, who also has a US citizenship, got caught between the fronts with her family.
Suzan Beseiso:
"Just a few meters away from us, a bomb hit and exploded. I was panicking. I had the worst panic attack and started screaming and crying: my dad is out, my mom is out, my nephew is out. And I started screaming like crazy. I felt like my father was being blown to pieces, my mother was gone, and my nephew was gone."
Currently, the only way out of Gaza is through the Rafah crossing. Last week, more than three weeks after the war began, Egypt opened the crossing for the first time to foreigners and Palestinians with dual citizenship. After a rocket attack, it was closed again over the weekend.
Beseiso made it across the border with her grandmother. We continued by bus to Cairo.
Suzan Beseiso: "It was:
You die or you go. What do you choose? Your childhood memories, your home, your country or life.«
According to Egyptian sources, there are around 7,000 foreign citizens in Gaza who want to leave via Rafah and some of them are staying there. Yusra Batniji has made it with her U.S. passport after tough weeks in Gaza:
Yusra Batniji:
"We stayed with other people. On the first day everything was fine, but then we started to struggle with the shortage, the water and electricity supply was interrupted. I have grandchildren, and there were children living in the house where we stayed."
Batniji was able to leave Rafah and is now in Cairo. She hopes to go back after the war:
Yusra Batniji:
"Before I left my house, I prayed to God that I would return to this house, even if it was only dust."
According to Palestinian authorities, 600 more people will be able to leave the war zone on Tuesday. Among them were about 150 Germans.
MSN