Vicitms of the devastating Israeli agression - Unknown voices from Gaza: the story of Wafa and her family

The war in Gaza has been going on for months now. The Israeli propaganda machine is working overtime and is very successful when it comes to influencing right-wing media, administrators and world leaders. They do exactly what is asked of them and shout together: "Israel has been attacked, Israel has the right to defend itself, Israel is our ally, Israel shares our norms and values." According to them, the Palestinians started it and every Palestinian is at least a potential terrorist.

On social media you and I see a different truth. There the war undisguisedly shows its unmasked and intensely gruesome face from all sides. Mountains of stone and rubble where until recently people lived in peace, motionless bodies - large and small - rolled in cloth that were only recently alive, dull eyes full of fear and despair that still shone with zest for life before the invasion. These are images that make an impression: elusive, inhuman and unimaginable.

I don't know how it works for you, but for me my whole body shakes with anger and powerlessness. It is a completely unequal battle in which tanks, fighter planes and drones are used against an unarmed population. The goal is simple: the total destruction of the Gaza Strip. It is almost impossible to understand how people manage to overindulge. Imagine that you are also a single mother and you are trying to do everything you can to save your children.

A woman called Wafa

Please read the story below of a brave woman called Wafa.

Would you like to introduce yourself?

I'm Wafa, 38 years old, a mother of 6 children, and I live in the northern part of Gaza.

What was your life like before October 7th?

My life waswonderful. I had a very beautiful kindergarten and my children went to school and were outstanding. I was working hard so that I could pay for them because my daughters and son do not have a father and we do not have any financial income other than the kindergarten.

What was life like in Gaza before October 7th?

Life before the war was beautiful. We worked, learned, and went out to spend beautiful times witheachother. I was not rich, but I was able to make ends meet and thus provide for my children.

How were Gazans treated by the Israelis before October 7th?

We did not deal with it because we didn't have to leave the Gaza Strip. But I know that whoever wants to travel through the Erez crossing does have to deal with all problems related. People are prevented from taking all kind of basic travel supplies. Some of them got arrested and were interrogated, while others were humiliated and got beaten. This happened on a daily basis before the Israeli invasion.

What has changed for you after October 7th?

Unfortunately, everything has changed. The physical, social, psychological and health conditions have all deteriorated enormously. Nothing of our previous life stayed the same. I have now gone from being a small entrepreneur to someone who is asking others for help. My life is destroyed, my house is destroyed and we have nothing left of our necessities. My day now consists of finding clean drinking water, enough food and wood to build a fire to cook. The bottom line is that I spend every day caring for my children and making sure they are safe. Surviving is all that matters now.

What do your street and house look like now that the Israeli army has used so much violence?

After all this violence I barely recognized our street anymore. In fact, its the same for all neighborhoods: there aren't any houses, trees or streets left. Everything is reduced to piles of stones and rubble. It had become impossible to live there anymore.

What is life like in Gaza now?

At the moment there are hardly any basic necessities available. Clean water is almost non-existent and all electricity supplies have been disabled or destroyed. Only a limited number of us have access to working solar panels. All schools, hospitals and universities were destroyed. Those Gazans with relatives in another countries will ask them to send an electronic chip to access the Internet. Right now I don't have enough money to buy a little food, now that I have been without income for more than 200 days. Everything has become enormously scarce and scarce and expensive.

What does daily Israeli aggression look like?

Every day the situation gets worse. The Israeli army has created many ways to kill and terrorize us here in Gaza.Next to direct bombings, snipers, Quadcopter planes and also random shelling, they use health neglect and hunger as weapons.

How do you manage to survive and get through the day?

Every day we move from one place to another. I always have to find out where it is safe at that moment and whether or not there are soldiers around. Me and my children are very tired of the constant displacement, movement and the difficulty of finding enough food and water. We would like to leave Gaza but it's very expensive to cross the border.

How do you think peace can ever come again and what would you like to call on the world to do?

After everything that has happened and the horrors I've seen, I'm not optimistic when it comes down to peace....any kind of peace.

If we want to end the Israeli aggression we need all the help we can get. I would like all the readers to support our case by putting pressure on their governments. I think and hope all these demonstrations, sit-ins and publicationson our behalfwill provide media attention. It will increase the pressure on the rulers of the countries and it could eventually bring about a shift in the position of these governments towards Israel. Only foreign pressure will ensure that Israel will end their war and their siege.

I would also like to call on everyone who is able to do so to make a financial contribution to the recovery of Gaza and to help my affected fellow Gazans. We need all the help we can get: financially and psychologically to get rid of the effects of the war. so that at some point in the future we can rebuild our lives.

A note from the author

A few days ago I was in contact with Wafa. Unfortunately, she is not doing well. She indicates that she is depressed and that she sees no way out of this situation for her children and herself. The new Israeli aggression in Rafah will only worsen Wafa's situation. I asked her to keep courage (which felt quite heavy from my safe place in the world).

Dear people, take to the streets, make a noise, make it known that you do not agree with the policies of all politicians who continue to support Israel. Together we can force them to change their shameful attitude. Do it for Gaza. Do it for the Palestinians. Do it for Wafa!