"We have asked people in Gaza: What is the most unforgettable incident that happened to you during the war?”
The Answers:
Ghada Abu Shabaan (24 years old) (Gaza City, North of Gaza) said:
“We evacuated our home to my uncle's place in the old city of Gaza, where around 30 of us gathered. Few remained due to tanks in the streets. Bombs exploded around us, and rubble hit the walls. Nearby houses were destroyed, and we couldn’t leave. Civil defence teams urged us to evacuate immediately, and somehow, we escaped, trembling with fear amidst the chaos. We found an old, abandoned room on the street, crammed inside with about 20 others from sunset to dawn. I relied on painkillers for unidentified pain, crying from fear and discomfort. At sunrise, the house next to us was bombed, killing everyone inside. It was one of the worst days of my life, a day I will never forget. I still don’t know how I survived”.
Enas, 21 years old (Tel Al-Hawa, North of Gaza) said:
“We were in our home in western Gaza when the last floor of our building was bombed, killing my grandfather. In a panic, we ran into the streets and sought refuge in Al-Quds Hospital, believing it would be a safe haven. However, the bombings continued relentlessly throughout the night, and I genuinely thought I might not survive. We ended up sleeping in the hospital corridors, and by morning, we made our way to one of the UNRWA shelters”.
Malak, 14 years old (Deir El-Balah, South of Gaza) said:
“As we evacuated our home, we sought refuge at a relative's house in the south, hoping it would be a safer place for us. To our horror, the house right next door was bombed, and we shared a wall with it. In that terrifying moment, I felt as if the walls were closing in on me. I can hardly recall how we managed to escape; it all happened so fast. The sight of people dying before my eyes was devastating, and I watched in despair as injured individuals fled, one person’s body shattered into pieces. That day is forever etched in my memory”.
Ghada, 24 years old, (Rafah, South of Gaza) said:
"I got engaged, and my fiancée moved to Egypt. I planned to follow him a few days later, leaving my family in the north to evacuate south for my travel. However, the Rafah border closed, preventing me from returning to my family or traveling to my fiancée. Now, I'm living in a tent with strangers, suffering from hepatitis and other illnesses for which I can't find treatment. I’m still searching for a way to reunite with my family in the north."
Maha, 29 years old, (Deir El-Balah, South of Gaza) said:
"At the beginning, when we were told to evacuate, everyone in the streets was lost, unsure of where to go. We decided to head to my aunt's house, taking one last look at our home, not realising it would be a long time before we could return. Our journey south marked the start of our misery. It was our first night on the streets, and I fell ill with no remedy in sight. I received news of my cousins' deaths, still trapped under the rubble. I experienced hunger for the first time, with nothing to eat, and had to shower without spare clothes. Every day, the smell of death surrounds us, and it continues to grow worse."
Wafaa, 26 years old, (Deir El-Balah, South of Gaza) said:
“Nothing harder than evacuating for seven times since the war started and still. Imagine living with strangers for months, feeling like a burden with no other options. We spent seven months in Rafah living in tents without necessities. The days were scorching hot, and the nights were freezing. We had insufficient blankets and sheets to sleep on, no access to clean water, and over eleven people crammed into a small tent."
Reham, 28 years old, (Rafah, South of Gaza) said:
"I want to ask the world these questions because we've forgotten the answers. What is it like to sleep in a bed? How does it feel to wash your hands with clean tap water? What does it mean to open your wardrobe and choose from clean clothes? What is it like to have a lamp or access to the internet whenever you want? How does it feel to share a meal with family and laugh together? What is it like to sit in a room when you’re not feeling well? How does it feel to have a washing machine? What is it like to study and work? How does it feel to see friends and relax in a place you enjoy? What is it like to have a home and move freely within it?”
Omnia, 28 years old, (Nuseirat Camp, South of Gaza):
“The hardest day of my life was when my sister’s house was bombed. We lived on the same street, and I still remember every detail vividly. Inside the house were my sister, her husband, their two daughters, and her in-laws. They were also sheltering people who had evacuated from northern Gaza.
That afternoon, I heard a shell fall, quieter than usual. I rushed to the balcony, but all I could see was dust. When I stepped outside, I realized the bomb had hit my sister's house. I ran, barefoot, towards the rubble—what used to be her home now looked unrecognizable. The second floor had collapsed into the ground floor.
I saw my cousin screaming for his wife and children, trapped under the debris. His voice still haunts me. Amid the chaos, rescue workers began pulling children from the rubble. I spotted my niece alive and ran to help carry her out. Then, miraculously, they found her sister too, clutching her toy.
I took the girls back to my house, where my father, in tears, couldn’t believe they had survived. Later, they brought my injured sister—she had been thrown by the explosion. Many of our relatives didn’t make it that day”.