Mustafa and Nesma al-Borsh’s wedding party was, understandably, a modest affair, considering the conditions in the Gaza Strip.Nesma went to a beauty salon, rented a white dress, and took some photos with her groom, Mustafa. The ceremony and party were held in a tent in eastern Gaza City’s neighbourhood of Tuffah, with only 40 people in attendance.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“I won’t say it was the wedding day I had always dreamed of, but given the harsh conditions we are living under, we tried to steal a few happy moments, and we did,” Nesma said.Those happy moments were stolen from Mustafa and Nesma.As last Friday’s celebration wrapped up, Israeli shelling hit a building next to the tent.The targeted site was a vocational training facility run by Gaza’s Ministry of Education, but had been converted into a shelter during the war. The couple had been planning to live there after the wedding.Flames rose from the site; dust, smoke, and screams filled the area.The newlyweds stood in shock, unable to comprehend what was unfolding around them, as their wedding day turned into a tragedy. A photo from Mustafa and Nesma’s wedding photo session, just hours before their shelter was bombed [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]From groom to rescuer“I immediately grabbed my bride’s hand and sent her with my female relatives who had just left. Then I took off my wedding suit jacket and rushed with the other men to rescue those inside the building,” Mustafa, 29, told Al Jazeera from Halawa, a displacement camp in Gaza City near Tuffah. Advertisement The shelling directly hit the second floor of the …
