What is it like to be in Gaza?

I used to feel so unfortunate to be here in Gaza. I still do.

While I was writing this piece, I went to other websites to check if it’s been 30 or 32 days since

the Israeli assault began. Then I wondered if that really matters! Here I am in Gaza, a place where numbers make no difference but to media. I’m sick of watching the death toll increasing to 1904 and more than ten thousands wounded. Behind those numbers lies a tremendous collection of heartbreaking stories.

I am 21 years old and I’ve witnessed three bloody wars in only 7 years! I am still traumatized by the scenes of the first war so called “Cast Lead”. I can assure you that I now, as all Gazans, suffer from a three-layer trauma.

This attack is different in all aspects. Everything becomes a target. Civilians, houses, mosques, hospitals, media offices, even cemeteries. And guess what the pretext is? “Those civilians aided the “terrorists”. “Those civilians were used as human shield by Hamas fighters.” “The terrorists were hiding in those places or they were used as a weapons store.” Does any of them seem convincing to you?

Homeless thousands of Gazans have been since the beginning of this massacre. My family and I had to evacuate our home when we saw everyone in our neighborhood fleeing their homes. We went to our grandfather’s house and stayed there for three days. But we could not stand being away from home. Our grandfathers and grandmothers flee their homes once in 1984 and they never went back home. “We’ll stay home no matter what”, we made up our minds.

Two days after we went back home, we were lucky enough to enjoy a three-day ceasefire. This period of time, which might be so short to you, was enough for me at least to forget some of the scenes of horror in this genocide. I could not be happier when I heard there will be a ceasefire for three days. “My family and I survived this attack”, I told myself. In the very first hour of the ceasefire, my dad and I went to Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip. Beit Hanoun witnessed a horror movie directed by the Israeli army. I took many photos of what I’ve seen.

Below are some of them.









Too optimistic I was. This ceasefire has come to an end which makes me uncertain whether we will really survive this insanity or not!