The moment Manchester man returned home after 'terrifying' 65 days in war-torn Gaza

A British-Palestinian scientist who has returned to Manchester after 65 days living in war-torn Gaza has recounted the horrors he witnessed. Mohammed Ghalayini, 44, from Gorton, was visiting his mother in Gaza with his sister when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

He awoke and saw ‘rocket trails’ from his window and fled to a friend’s apartment.

Two days later, on October 9, Mohammed’s mother and sister left for Egypt but he joined his father at his home in Gaza City, despite being a dual national and able to return to the UK.

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After two days Mohammed and his father were forced to flee to a hotel that was considered safer. There they slept in the basement along with around 500 others seeking shelter from the bombardment, including journalists and aid workers.

Recalling the horror of life in the basement, Mohammed said: “All the while there was bombing around us. Several times an hour there would be an aerial bombardment. I would go to sleep and be worried about waking up in a bombing.

“You would get rumours that the building next door was being bombed and we needed to leave. It was a terrifying environment to be in. Tower blocks about a kilometre away were being bombed and the whole building would shake. Every time there was an aerial bombing bits of the ceiling would fall down."

On October 13, Mohammed and his father received the news that the Israeli government had ordered central Gaza to be evacuated and travelled to Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

“We panicked. It was really terrifying to be given this forced