Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, August/September 2024, pp. 12-13
Five Views: Daily Life, Shattered Dreams and Hope in Gaza—Young Writers Share Their Stories
By Refaat Ibrahim
IN MANY COUNTRIES, childhood is a magical realm where the days are filled with boundless play and endless discovery, far removed from the burdens and responsibilities of adulthood. In this enchanted phase of life, parents endeavor to fulfill their children’s every need—material, emotional and psychological—crafting a nurturing haven where young minds and hearts can flourish, shaping their unique identities in the process.
But not in Gaza, a place that UNICEF has referred to as “the most dangerous place in the world for children.” ABC News reported on June 24 that nearly 15,000 children have been killed in Gaza and at least 21,000 children are missing or separated from their families. Many have lost their parents and have no provider. More painfully, many children have lost all their family members. Others have become the sole providers for their families.
The Israeli aggression against civilians in Gaza has forced many children to work to provide food and drink and help their families survive under the Israeli blockade. Children walk long distances under the scorching sun while carrying weights they can hardly bear. A child may walk all day carrying water bottles or bread or coffee and tea to sell to passersby on the road. At the end of each day, they hope they’ve collected enough money to buy food, so that they don’t have to sleep hungry. The next day, they repeat the same process.
Gaza suffers from high rates of poverty and unemployment, which have doubled due to the blockade and recurrent conflicts. Children work in difficult and dangerous conditions, including work in farms, workshops and street vending. This work negatively impacts their education, mental and physical health and exposes them to numerous risks, including exploitation and abuse.
Twelve-year-old Abdullah Saeed was an outstanding student in elementary school with a grade average of 96. He and his two brothers and three sisters lived in a house filled with love and affection with their parents in eastern Khan Yunis. Abdullah’s life was going perfectly until his childhood took a drastic turn and filled with sorrow and pain due to the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Abdullah’s father, a teacher, was suffering from cancer and needed immediate treatment outside the Gaza Strip. However, the Israeli occupation closed the Gaza crossings and prevented patients from receiving care. He tried unsuccessfully to get a permit to travel for medical reasons. In February 2024 he passed away.
Abdullah says, “When I saw how much my father suffered from cancer, I wished to become a doctor. But I haven’t even completed elementary school because of the Israeli aggression on us in Gaza.”
Abdullah and his family have had to relocate five times since the beginning of the Israeli genocidal war on civilians in Gaza, carrying tents, wood and personal belonging, and walking long distances under Israeli bombing and rockets. They started from their home east of Khan Yunis, then fled to the center of Khan Yunis, then joined their sick father in the hospital, then evacuated to Rafah, then back to Al-Mawasi in Khan Yunis again. After his father’s death and the destruction of their home due to Israeli bombing, Abdullah found himself in a difficult situation. He had to work daily in hard labor to support his siblings all the while dealing with displacement. He is often very afraid for his life.
Abdullah returns from work every evening exhausted, eating food that neither fills him up nor provides the essential nutrients a child’s body needs. His memory takes him back to the days before the Israeli aggression on Gaza when he lived comfortably and safely with his family, attended school and achieved top grades. Abdullah dreams of returning to his school to continue his education and living with his family in their home. His current reality is filled with pain, exhaustion and responsibilities impossible for children to bear.
When asked about his hopes for the future, Abdullah said, “I wished my father were alive and could receive the necessary treatment and recover. Then he could return to the school where he worked as a teacher and take me with him to continue my education. My father’s voice teaching math at school was inspiring and encouraged me to learn. I don’t know why the Israeli occupation denied my father the chance to leave Gaza for treatment.”
Abdullah’s story is one of hundreds of tragic stories happening daily in the Gaza Strip due to Israel’s genocidal war on civilians in Gaza. The suffering of children in Gaza worsens with each new aggression. Children in Gaza suffer from multiple crises, including shortages of food, water and medicine, along with serious psychological and health impacts. The many forms of suffering are known only to those who have been burned by that fire.
Nevertheless, the children of Gaza still have hope and aspirations for a better future despite the difficulties they face as the Israeli war machine continues to kill them as well as their dreams. The children in Gaza need this brutal Israeli aggression to end now.
Refaat Ibrahim is a Palestinian writer from Gaza. He studied English language and literature. He is deeply interested in writing articles on political and social issues, and has several published articles.
