Women of Gaza struggle to survive amid uncertainty

“I am not a fighter and what is going on here is not a war having mutual clashes. The whole world should know this,” said Asmaa Nasser, one woman in Gaza.

NAGHAM KARAJEH

Gaza-Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a bloody war in the Gaza Strip and people in the Gaza Strip have struggled to survive amid uncertainty. Under clouds of smoke and amid the rubble, the stories of women reveal the strength of people despite the tragedy faced by them. Women always pay the heaviest price during wars and conflicts; women of Gaza take care of children while struggling against hunger, thirst, housing problems and insecurity. In northern Gaza, the stories of women are like a mirror reflecting the suffering experienced by the people.

 ‘We struggled to survive’

Asmaa Nasser, a 20-year-old woman displaced from the city of Beit Hanoun, told NuJINHA the suffering they experienced in the four-month siege and constant bombardments on the city of Beit Hanoun. “We were trapped in our house without power and water. We could not cook because there was no water and it was as if we were in a mass grave. Warplanes were flying over the city while people were trying to go out in order to find something to eat. While the children were crying from hunger, we had no choice but to wait. Our conditions were deteriorating but we struggled. Despite everything, we struggled to survive.”

She lost her family members

After two-week bombardment, the city was in ruins. “My life turned upside down. We got out from under the rubble, but we were injured. I lost many of my family members, including my sister, my brother and his three children. I had to bury them because there was no one who could help me. I think I will never forget what I experienced there.”

Asmaa Nasser managed to take her injured family members to the Kamal Adwan Hospital. “I also took my sister’s son to the hospital, he was seriously injured. The hospital was full of dead bodies and injured people. When I arrived at the hospital, Israeli forces raided the hospital and forcibly evacuated the hospital.”

‘They also aimed to destroy our souls’

Asmaa Nasser took shelter in a center along with other women. “I was subjected to a search and a humiliating interrogation. They also aimed to destroy our souls. Despite everything, I was looking for my sister’s son everywhere. Whenever I saw an ambulance, I thought he could be inside it. I do not know where my parents are now.”

‘We just do our best to survive’

Witnessing the horror of war, Asmaa Nasser concluded her speech as follows: “I do not have the luxury of giving up. If I give up, I will never find my family members. I am not a fighter and what is going on here is not a war having mutual clashes. The whole world should know this. We just do our best to survive but even our right to life has been taken away from us.”