Palestinians in Gaza Strip express solidarity with Ukrainians amid Russian invasion

Palestinians in the besieged Gazan Strip have closely followed Russia's aggression 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 The New Arab, 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 The New Arab 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."

Syrians on Thursday slammed Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, saying they stand in solidarity with Ukrainians after their own experiences of Moscow's aggressionhttps://t.co/x7GM7sNUMc

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) February 24, 2022

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 The New Arab. 

"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."