GAZA CITY, Palestine

A 70-year-old Palestinian woman, Dawlat al-Tanani, still grapples with the trauma of being viciously attacked by an Israeli army dog in her small home In Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, located in the northern Gaza Strip. 

While lying in bed after her night prayers, she was suddenly attacked by an Israeli army dog, which stormed into her room and bit deeply into her arm.

This incident occurred during a 20-day attack by the Israeli military on the camp from May 12 to May 31.

Recounting her ordeal to Anadolu, the elderly woman said: "As I was drifting off to sleep, the dog wearing a camera on its back entered the room and attacked me. It sank its sharp teeth into my arm until it reached the bone, dragging me across the floor while soldiers stood outside."

❝I had prayed then slept in my bed. The [Israeli] dog then began dragging me, sinking all its teeth into my hand❞

❝I swear I had seen death with my own eyes❞

Dawlat Al Tanani, an elderly Palestinian woman attacked by an Israeli army police dog during a raid on her home in… pic.twitter.com/BrFsJ5o6E9

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) June 30, 2024

Alone, she was left bleeding until morning.

Despite suffering severe injuries, al-Tanani could not seek medical help immediately due to the ongoing bombardment. "I screamed for help, hoping a neighbor would hear, but everyone had already left the camp. I lay there bleeding, waiting for help until dawn," she said.

In the morning, despite the continued bombing, al-Tanani walked for hours, falling repeatedly, in search of assistance. She was eventually noticed by a young man near al-Yemen al-Saeed Hospital in Jabalia, who helped her get to the hospital for treatment.

The elderly woman expressed her hope for the end of Israeli attacks on Gaza, entry of aid into the region, and return to normalcy.

"Northern Gaza is experiencing a severe shortage of food and vegetables. Apart from canned food, there is nothing. We need aid to be allowed in," she said.

This attack drew widespread condemnation after Al Jazeera broadcast a video of the incident on Tuesday, showing Israeli forces unleashing a trained dog on a sleeping woman. The footage, which quickly went viral, sparked outrage among social media activists.

The Geneva-based civil society organization Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor on Thursday condemned the systematic use of trained dogs by the Israeli military to attack Palestinian civilians and detainees.

In a statement, Euro-Med said this is one of the Israeli army’s many crimes of systematic violence against Palestinian detainees, including sexual harassment, and threats of rape.

They documented numerous incidents where Israeli forces used large police and military dogs during raids on homes, hospitals, and shelters, often mocking civilians as the dogs attacked them.

The statement also emphasized that al-Tanani’s case is not isolated, with many similar incidents occurring in Gaza.