NAGHAM KARAJEH

Gaza- For about a year, Israel has been waging a war on the Gaza Strip. Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 42,000 Palestinians, injured thousands and displaced millions since October 7,2023. Children and women are the most affected by this war.

 “We will struggle to survive despite the limited   resources,” said Rawya Islim, a displaced woman in Gaza.

‘We face a relentless war’

“Our cities have been destroyed and we face a relentless war,” Rawya Islim told NuJINHA. “Before Israel started a war against us, I used to live in the neighborhood of Shujaiya. Our neighborhood has been one of the most targeted areas in the war that has been going on since October 7, 2023. At first, we thought that the bombardments would not affect us but we were wrong. Following the bombardments, we took shelter in the Shifa Hospital. We had nowhere to go because hospitals, schools and universities were overwhelmed with thousands of displaced people.”

 ‘We escaped the attack by chance’

Rawya Islim spent months in the Shifa Hospital along with her family without basic supplies and hygiene. “The hospital was a temporary shelter for us, but it was not as safe as we thought because Israel attacked it. We were thousands of displaced people and forced to flee from the hospital due to Israeli airstrikes. My family and I escaped the attack by chance. Then, we took shelter in a school. We returned to our neighborhood after the military operation ended; however, Israel intensified its attacks on our neighborhood in March. Israeli forces surrounded us from all sides and we could not escape. They raided our neighborhood and arrested all the men, including my son. Then, we had to go to the southern regions. For months, we have lived in the southern regions without basic supplies.”

‘We struggle to survive with limited resources’

Rawya Islim has not received any information about her arrested son for months. “Later, we were told that my son was in an Israeli prison. My son was the only breadwinner of our family. Now, I am the only breadwinner of my family; however, there is no job. The people of Gaza struggle to survive. Despite the siege and lack of food, we, as women, struggle to survive with limited resources. We keep resisting despite displacement, painful losses, siege and attacks.”

‘I want to see my son again’

Rawya Islim suffers from many health problems and she is experiencing vision loss. “But I have to spend hours cooking for my family. Despite all the challenges, all I want is to see my son again before losing my vision.”