Dreams for Freedom - Gaza, Palestine | Islamic Relief Canada by Islamic Relief Canada

Dreams for Freedom Gaza | Palestine

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Acknowledgements Special thanks to all the children and mothers who courageously shared their stories with us, taking the time to guide us through some of the most difficult moments in their lives - helping us better understand what life is like for Palestinians living in Gaza. “So verily, with hardship, there is ease. Verily, with hardship, there is ease.” Quran (94:5-6)

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

Table of Contents 2

Foreword

Why We Need Voices From the Ground

Context

Methodology

Their Stories Fatima Anwar Ayah Salah Toqa Ahmed Rahaf Emaan | Rahaf’s Mother Hamza Najwa | Hamza’s Mother

Postscript

Conclusion

Works Cited

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Foreword

Islamic Relief in Gaza Muneeb Abu-Ghazaleh Country Director | Islamic Relief Gaza Gaza has been described as ‘the largest open-air prison in the world’. However, the reality is that life in Gaza often feels far worse than prison. Even those in prison have access to electricity, a continuous clean water supply and the right to receive visitors. These are basic rights and needs that innocent people are denied here in Gaza. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with around 5,500 people per square kilometer. The large majority of the population are refugees who were forcibly displaced from their homes to Gaza in 1948. Since 1998, Islamic Relief has been working tirelessly on the ground in Gaza, providing urgent food, medical supplies and assistance, access to clean water and sanitary services, sponsoring orphans and distributing much needed life-saving humanitarian aid to the same 80 percent of Gaza’s population who are dependent on aid to survive. In recent years, we increased our aid efforts to match the unprecedented scale of need in Gaza. This need is a direct consequence of the blockade and military interventions that have killed thousands of people and have destroyed thousands more businesses, further exacerbating the already crumbling economy. The recent round of violence in May 2021 was the most intense I have ever seen. Many Palestinian families were displaced by the bombings and forced to seek shelter in UN schools, with relatives or with complete strangers. In the midst of the violence, Islamic Relief Canada launched an emergency appeal, quickly answering the call for assistance by responding with food vouchers and emergency, life-saving medical supplies including medicine, disposables and lab materials for health facilities. Our team in Gaza is determined to help those affected in rebuilding their lives. We have launched a comprehensive recovery plan that includes repairing water systems and damaged homes, fixing impacted healthcare facilities and schools, as well as supporting special education centres and providing much-needed counselling to affected families. Humanitarian organizations such as Islamic Relief are making enormous strides by providing significant funding to support communities affected by the situation in Palestine. However, a ceasefire alone will not be enough to prevent violence from escalating again in the future. An entire generation of Palestinians in Gaza have grown up living through this deprivation and injustice - it is all they have ever known. For justice to prevail, the international community must come together to deal with the root causes of the problems, which include the decades-long occupation of Palestine and the crippling blockade on Gaza. My hope for the younger generation in Gaza is for them to be able to know and enjoy their basic rights of free movement, a good education and contribute to the development of their community. Most importantly, I hope we can all live in safety.

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

“Even when I fall and hurt myself, I will continue to run towards my dream.” Rahaf

“You see all these difficulties and bumps in the road? We surpass them and get up again.” Fatima

“Even if I go a day without food, there is no point in lamenting, I just adapt and move forward.” Ayah

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

“We as the Palestinian people are dehumanized wherever we go. But Alhamdulillah (Praise God), whoever is humiliated in this life, Allah subhana wa ta’ala, (God Most High) will honour them in the hereafter.” Emaan

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

Why We Need Voices From the Ground In May 2021, just days before millions of Palestinians in Gaza were set to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, Israeli forces launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of Palestinians and destroying key infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools, primary health-care centres and an international media office. Islamic Relief Canada quickly responded to the destruction by launching an emergency appeal and delivering much-needed aid and supplies to those displaced by the attacks. In the wake of this renewed violence and the increasingly dire humanitarian context in Gaza, Islamic Relief Canada commissioned “Voices from the Ground” to hear about life in Gaza directly from ordinary Palestinians, who are often only cited as statistics or victims of the international politics that surround their everyday lives. While everyone’s story is unique in their own way, many follow similar trajectories, touching upon day-to-day challenges, health issues and ongoing psychosocial needs. We also hear about the ambitions, goals, and visions that keep hope, resilience and humanity alive for the individuals that make up the 2+ million people of Gaza. To us, these challenges may often seem overwhelming and the dreams distant, but if these stories help amplify their incredible dignity and bring their lives an inch closer to those of the outside world, then war becomes harder and peace becomes easier, God willing.

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Context Gaza has been on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe for over a decade due to a crippling 14-year Israeli-led and Egyptianbacked air, sea and land blockade1. Islamic Relief’s ongoing reports have identified that more than 80 percent of the population – 2.1 million people – rely on humanitarian aid, resources and support to survive2. The critical impact of the long-standing Israeli occupation and numerous bombing campaigns are reflected within the magnitude of these numbers. In 2012, the United Nations warned the international community that Gaza would be ‘uninhabitable’ by 2020 if the blockade was not lifted3. 77,000 Palestinians were displaced in the most recent offensive, and 800,000 more do not have reliable access to clean water4. The blockade continues to isolate Palestinians from their families and homelands as well as restrict access to essential goods and services, including the materials required

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

to rebuild essential infrastructure such as housing, water and electricity systems. These restrictions have triggered an unemployment crisis, food insecurity, and large-scale electricity outages. Compounding the violence, the loss of friends, family members and separation from extended family networks, the blockade creates conditions for constant vulnerability and trauma that severely affects the mental health and wellbeing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Islamic Relief’s 2020 study, “Dreams on Hold,” revealed that 95 percent of youth were found to be living with severe forms of anxiety5. Critically, 38 percent of young Palestinians are at a tipping point of contemplating suicide6. Even prior to the recent escalation in violence, UNICEF noted that one in every three Palestinian children required counselling services7.

While Islamic Relief’s report revealed that 69 percent of Palestinian youth had developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after experiencing the conflict8, the Chair of the Palestinian Mental Health Unit has argued that PTSD is a Western concept — in so much as there is no “post” phase to the trauma since the stress is ongoing, continuous and relentless9. Despite all the trauma and hardships Palestinians face, our collection of stories reveal that many people in Gaza continue to hold on to an amazing faith in life, expressing gratitude for that which they are blessed with, and sharing personal and collective ambitions to contribute towards their community. There is still time for the international community to stand in solidarity and listen to Palestinian voices. It is time we also do what we can to help them have a better future.

Methodology Through a narrative inquiry, this report illustrates and examines the challenges facing Palestinians living under siege in the Gaza Strip, by exploring how interdisciplinary health, social and political factors impact and inform the mental health and physical wellbeing of Palestinians.

The contemporary discourse surrounding the political landscape within Palestine follows a very particular narrative, often stereotyping the existence of Palestinians under a negative, pathologized light. Whether it’s eulogizing Palestinians or villainizing them, these representations homogenize Palestinian experiences, often reducing them to data sets and percentiles, while taking away from their agency in relation to the individual and collective challenges they face. By engaging with Palestinian lived experiences through a narrative inquiry, focusing on storytelling and conversational exchange, we gain insight into the factors that play a crucial role in determining the mental, physical and overall wellbeing of Palestinians living in Gaza. Through conversation, we can begin to understand the complex oppression Palestinians are facing and how individuals are coping with the challenges and hardships they experience. Islamic Relief Canada’s primary researcher is a Palestinian-Canadian woman who was contracted to collect stories from the ground

in Gaza. All of the research participants gave informed consent before agreeing to participate in the conversational interviews. Participant selection was communitybased and informal. All of our research participants are rights-holders engaging with Islamic Relief-funded programs run by local organizations. Our target population for this study were women and children, as research reflects that women and children are disproportionately affected by violence. We felt it was important to hear the perspectives of Palestinian youth living in Gaza. We also interviewed some of these children’s mothers, who were able to offer an intimate view into their daily lives and what it looks like to be a parent in Gaza. In total, three adults and seven children were interviewed, varying in gender, socioeconomic status, health status and age. Research participants were asked open-ended questions about life in Gaza. The questions specifically revolved around day-to-day life in Gaza living under the blockade, individual ambitions and goals, physical, mental health

challenges, coping with these challenges, and imagining a life without the blockade. The primary researcher conducted the interviews in the Palestinian dialect of Arabic and the interviews were recorded and subsequently transcribed and translated into English. After receiving the primary data, Islamic Relief Canada’s research team engaged in an intersectional analysis, specifically investigating how varying aspects of their struggles engage and interact with each other. We took precautions to avoid damagecentered research that dehumanizes suffering and normalizes oppression, by highlighting each individual’s personality, ambition and resilience. We hope that this research will amplify Palestinian voices and their struggle for individual and collective freedom, while shedding light on the varied injustices that are perpetuated by the continuation of the occupation of the Palestinian territories and blockade of the Gaza Strip.

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

THEIR STORIES 8

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

Their Stories

Fatima A 32-year old single mother in Gaza, Fatima has faced many challenges throughout her life. Her father died when she was little, so Fatima was raised by her mother until the age of 15 when she married. Fatima suffered abuse and violence at the hands of her husband, eventually finding the strength to divorce him after four years of marriage. At only nineteen, Fatima was left to raise her four children on her own. Two of her children suffer from serious health issues. Her daughter has brain paralysis and her son lacks essential growth hormones, requiring injections that cost around $100 each. She told herself that she would ensure her children had a better life than she did, and knew education was the only way for this to happen. Fatima worked hard to complete high school and then went on to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in education. “I never want to draw the line on my education. My dream is to obtain a permanent job and through that, be able to get my masters, and even PhD, so I can become a professor and teach. Getting a job would completely change my life. It would improve every part of my wellbeing.” Despite completing her bachelor’s degree in 2016, Fatima still has not secured

employment. Instead she relies on occasional private work, such as baking, cooking and tutoring. However, these opportunities are rare and difficult to carry out in Gaza as they require the basics, such as a fridge or stove, which are unavailable to her. Nevertheless, Fatima adapts and finds solutions. If she receives an order for food, she seeks a loan from friends or businesses to use their equipment — most often supermarkets — and then pays them back after fulfilling the order. Like many residents of Gaza, shelter remains a major challenge for Fatima and her family. Despite financial setbacks, Fatima took matters into her own hands and constructed a makeshift home. Though functional to an extent, Fatima cannot afford a proper roof for her two-room house and was forced to resort to a non-protective roof made from one piece of metal, which makes the home extremely hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. When asked about psychological challenges, Fatima cited being deeply impacted by the wars in Gaza, especially the most recent aggression. “Life is very difficult for us in Gaza. I have gone through periods where I questioned my existence, thinking it is futile to live. The most recent violence lasted 12 days and it was the

most intense we have ever seen….I didn’t sleep at all during the 12 days; even when my kids slept, I had to stay awake in case we needed to run or escape. We all thought we were going to die. In Gaza, it is just a waiting game for us.” Despite everything that Fatima has gone through, she remains resilient and determined to keep pursuing education and work opportunities. She views herself as a strong and capable woman who simply needs help in procuring resources and employment. While proactively seeking these avenues for assistance, Fatima refuses to consider herself a victim or sacrifice her dignity and beg in order to obtain aid. She is a tough woman and when asked if she feels defeated, she says that her pain has made her stronger, and that she has pushed her struggles under her feet. “Even with everything that I’m telling you, it doesn’t even describe one percent of how much I truly faced and suffered. Yet all these barriers were a motivation for me to get to where I am today, to talk about my experience, and to overcome my problems. You see all these difficulties and bumps in the road? We surpass them and get up again.”

“I didn’t sleep at all during the 12 days; even when my kids slept, I had to stay awake in case we needed to run or escape. We all thought we were going to die. In Gaza, it is just a waiting game for us”

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Their Stories

Anwar When Anwar was in first grade, his family began to notice that he was very tired and fatigued compared to other children and became worried about his health. His parents quickly took him for a check-up and the doctor diagnosed Anwar with diabetes. Anwar has now been living with the illness for over a decade. It is not easy to live with chronic illness in Gaza. While it is challenging to go through life with a chronic illness in any situation, the conditions imposed by the blockade make Anwar’s situation incredibly dire. Constant electricity outages and Israeli restrictions on the sale and transfer of goods make it extremely difficult to access and store necessary medical supplies. Like others living with chronic illness in Gaza, one of Anwar’s regular difficulties is in obtaining the medicine that he needs to fight his illness. “Even if I tried my best to eat well, it is necessary for me to go for my check-ups and get my medicine, which is really expensive. Sometimes my family has to take out loans to

get my pens and insulin strips, just to check on my levels. A lot of the time the medicine gets ruined because of electricity blackouts, as they need to be refrigerated; otherwise they don’t work. If I don’t have them, my blood sugar spikes.” Next to his illness, Anwar’s biggest challenge is the blockade and attacks on Gaza. “Another thing that affects my childhood and daily life is the wars. I remember all of these wars affecting us deeply — they impact all of us. For me, the strongest war was 2014, as they bombed a mosque in our neighborhood and it damaged my house. I was very afraid for my life.” If his family home had been fully destroyed in the last war, Anwar would have had no choice but to seek shelter in a crowded place, despite being severely immunocompromised during a global pandemic.

the intricacies around the illness including the causes, the symptoms, prognosis and possible treatments. Through his experience as a diabetic, he has firsthand knowledge of the limits of sugar and feels a strong conviction to educate people about the dangers of prolonged sugar intake. It is for this reason that Anwar hopes to become a physician one day, so that he can help people with his illness and use his own story of suffering to encourage his community to adopt healthier habits. “After learning about my illness, I learned to live with it — I consider it my friend. I now understand that my illness is actually love from Allah subhana wa ta’ala (God Most High). The fact that it is an illness is not something that impacts me [negatively]; in fact it strengthens me because if I didn’t have this illness, I would be prone to suffering a lot of effects of sugar consumption. So I’ve learned now to adopt healthier habits than the average person.”

Today, a tenth-grade student, Anwar has an advanced understanding of diabetes and all of

“Sometimes my family has to take out loans to get my pens and insulin strips, just to check on my levels. A lot of the time the medicine gets ruined because of electricity blackouts, as they need to be refrigerated; otherwise they don’t work. If I don’t have them, my blood sugar spikes.”

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

“These days of the war were very difficult, but May 15th stands out as the most difficult day of my life. It is permanently registered into my memory because I have never felt that much fear before. That night I was awake to pray. Falling silent from the fear I felt, I looked at my mother and frantically began to point toward the window, indicating that things were on fire outside. That night the bombing was really intense and it was very close. I saw the red that comes before the sound. I would watch Instagram stories of the bombings, but did not imagine it would reach my neighbourhood. I was terrified and thought our windows were broken, but alhamdulillah (praise be to God), in the end nothing happened to my family.” Ayah

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Their Stories

Ayah Only 14 years old, Ayah is an intelligent and confident girl who is dedicated to her love of learning. In her spare time, Ayah participates in the science club and enjoys writing Arabic poems and stories, often delving into subjects well beyond her years. While her family would rather she focus on developing herself and her interests, as the eldest of five, Ayah feels a sense of responsibility to be a role model to her siblings and maintain calm in times of crisis. Ayah described the recent May violence as the most terrifying crisis of her life. “I was very scared during these twelve days, but I didn’t want to show it. I took my siblings into the hallway to play with them so they would forget about the war. I tried so hard to hide my fear, to the point where I would stand up even when it was dangerous, just to indicate to my siblings that fear is unnecessary and that we should have strong faith in Allah subhana wa ta’ala (God Most High).” While trying to stay strong for her siblings, Ayah admitted she was facing psychological challenges, crippled by the fear that her family would die and she would end up alone. Many Palestinians in Gaza have experienced similar

fears that their families would be wiped out by the bombs. In fact, this fear drove many families in Gaza to swap family members between different households during the war in order to decrease the likelihood of an entire family being killed. Terrified of what could happen to her, Ayah never willingly slept during the war, only finding herself asleep from exhaustion. “These days of the war were very difficult, but May 15th stands out as the most difficult day of my life. It is permanently registered into my memory because I have never felt that much fear before. That night I was awake to pray. Falling silent from the fear I felt, I looked at my mother and frantically began to point toward the window, indicating that things were on fire outside. That night the bombing was really intense and it was very close. I saw the red that comes before the sound. I would watch Instagram stories of the bombings, but did not imagine it would reach my neighbourhood. I was terrified and thought our windows were broken, but alhamdulillah (praise be to God), in the end nothing happened to my family.” Despite living through fear and hardship, Ayah refuses to be a victim of her circumstances.

Ayah consistently shows her gratitude for all God has given her, refusing to complain or admit defeat. She believes in the importance of adapting to one’s circumstances and finding creative ways to move forward. “Even if I go a day without food, there is no point in lamenting, I just adapt and move forward. If I want to learn something, I will find every way to learn, no matter how trivial.” Ayah ultimately draws her strength from God, as well as the desire to make other people happy and the dream to move forward toward her goals. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19’s transition to online learning — including frequent electricity outages caused by the blockade — Ayah has not let these frustrations get the best of her. She is a devoted student, and when asked where she sees herself in the future, she says that she is going to become someone who leaves an impact on the world. She wants to become a published writer one day, but stresses that her main career goal is to be a scientist. While admittedly an introvert, Ayah refuses to be a passive individual, and is actively committed to doing whatever it takes to reach her goals.

“Even if I go a day without food, there is no point in lamenting, I just adapt and move forward. If I want to learn something, I will find every way to learn, no matter how trivial.”

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

Their Stories

Salah At only 11 years old, Salah has already developed a deep emotional understanding of what it means to be a Palestinian living in Gaza. It is clear from his way of speaking that he is politically-minded and understands the tumultuous effects of Israel’s occupation and blockade. Part of this understanding lies in the fact that Salah remains separated from his father, who has been living and working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to limited job opportunities at home. When the blockade was imposed on the Gaza Strip nearly fifteen years ago, unemployment and poverty skyrocketed, causing many Palestinians to desperately seek employment avenues elsewhere. Those who are able to obtain the proper paperwork often have no choice but to leave their families behind in order to put food on the table. When asked about the impact of the blockade on his day to day life, Salah described his growing frustrations with the constant electricity outages he and his family have to deal with.

“I guess I’m supposed to get used to it, but I find myself throwing a fit every time the TV or internet cuts out. I have a big family — five brothers and three sisters. Almost all of us are in school with our own courses to study for and our own clubs and interests. We all need the internet for our activities, so when the electricity goes out and the internet stops working we get really frustrated.”

see anyone killed or anyone buried. Even if I don’t know them, it hurts me. During this last aggression it was so difficult as I saw so many martyrs buried. The cemeteries are extremely overcrowded because there is always so much death and dying. In fact when my uncle passed away, they had to dig open the grave of another one of my uncles in order to make space for him.”

While being separated from his father and dealing with the ongoing challenges of the blockade are difficult, it is Israel’s bombing campaigns that have had the deepest impact on Salah. In the latest round of violence, Salah’s grandmother narrowly escaped with her life after being rendered unconscious from debris from a nearby missile attack. Salah recalls becoming very emotional during this period of aggression, especially after seeing the remains of children’s lives such as toys and chocolate bars left in the wreckage of homes that were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.

While Salah has found it difficult to cope with the devastation caused by the last war, he has found solace in local not-for-profits, which provide him with toys and a space to play and learn. Salah loves to learn and tries hard to succeed in his studies, understanding the value of education and how it could advance his future. Salah is most interested in farming, which he tries to learn from his father when he sees him. His hope for the future is to farm and build in order to advance and develop as much as possible in Palestine.

“It tore my heart to think of these stories and the people who are gone. I’ve lived through so much death, I get emotional whenever I

“I want to help the underprivileged and do everything in my power to help Palestinians and allow us to prosper in our country.”

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

“On the second day of Eid, my family was told to leave our residential complex because a home within it was to be bombed, so we went to a different house nearby. My six uncles and their families came with us. After we left, a house in our complex was bombed. My father assumed this was the bombing we were warned about and wanted to return to our home. I was very close and attached to my father, and I had a gut feeling at the time that something was wrong, that something terrible was going to happen. When I told my father, he said ‘I would rather die a martyr in my own home than in the home of a stranger.’ Right there and then, I knew what was coming. When we went back to our home in the evening, we woke up in a panic in the middle of the night when a bomb tore through our home. My uncle died the instant the bomb hit. My father was injured but remained alive until that evening. He had an injury to his leg, but while the doctors attended to his leg, he bled to death from another injury in his neck. I was the only one in my family who did not sustain any injuries. My mother, my siblings, my cousins, they all still have scars and shrapnel in their skin from that war.” Toqa

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

Their Stories

Toqa At only 16 years old, Toqa has experienced unimaginable loss. Orphaned since 2014, Toqa is very close with her family, bound by shared life experiences and love for one another. Despite all she has been through, Toqa remains resilient, with several goals and aspirations for her life. As a well-rounded student, Toqa has struggled to find her niche as she scored high in every field. While she really loves the sciences, she also finds the art program at a local centre to be very therapeutic, and has a passion for writing stories, home design and decor. For the time being, her dream is to become a dentist; but she also recognizes that her aspirations may change with growth and experience, so she tries to keep an open mind. When discussing the struggles of daily life in Gaza, she quickly cited the “loss of loved ones’’ as her primary adversity. The loss of her father and other family members is a tragedy she continues to grapple with to this day. “On the second day of Eid, my family was told to leave our residential complex because a home within it was to be bombed, so we went to a different house nearby. My six uncles and

their families came with us. After we left, a house in our complex was bombed. My father assumed this was the bombing we were warned about and wanted to return to our home. I was very close and attached to my father, and I had a gut feeling at the time that something was wrong, that something terrible was going to happen. When I told my father, he said ‘I would rather die a martyr in my own home than in the home of a stranger.’ Right there and then, I knew what was coming. When we went back to our home in the evening, we woke up in a panic in the middle of the night when a bomb tore through our home. My uncle died the instant the bomb hit. My father was injured but remained alive until that evening. He had an injury to his leg, but while the doctors attended to his leg, he bled to death from another injury in his neck. I was the only one in my family who did not sustain any injuries. My mother, my siblings, my cousins, they all still have scars and shrapnel in their skin from that war.” Following her father’s death, Toqa hardly said a word, refusing to eat or partake in any activities. She felt lifeless and alone, as her

mother was sent away to Turkey for treatment and her eldest brother was terribly impacted himself, and unable to provide any comfort to her. Since her mother’s recovery and return, life has gone on and improved. Toqa is particularly grateful for the extra care she received from her school, which makes an extra effort to help orphaned children. When asked how she copes with the war and the loss of her father, Toqa said that first and foremost, her strength comes from her faith in God. She also credits the local arts centre in Gaza with helping her recover, reflecting on the stark difference in the way she would speak and interact in the immediate aftermath of her father’s death compared to today. She has also drawn on her mother as a source of support while learning to trust her own gut feelings. In trusting herself and her feelings, Toqa is someone who is not concerned with society’s input, criticism or praise. Her only hope is to stay in her homeland and make her family proud. “Palestine is my home. I never want to leave my homeland and my family to live in exile. I want to do things in my life that will make my father and mother proud.”

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Their Stories

Ahmed Despite his youth, Ahmed is very aware of the reality of the challenges he faces living in Gaza. While Ahmed seeks to underscore his gratitude for life and maintain his personal dignity, repeatedly insisting that “everything is fine”, the pressures Ahmed is confronting are anything but fine for a 15 year-old boy. In recent months, Ahmed’s father sustained a bad hand and leg injury while fixing their family home and now suffers severe physical impairments. Since his father is unable to work, as the eldest son, Ahmed feels a large sense of responsibility to provide for his siblings and be a strong pillar for the family. Currently, his family’s only source of income is their car, which they rent out to a taxi driver to collect a portion of the profits. While his father would prefer that Ahmed focus his energy on his studies, Ahmed cannot help but feel pressured to fill his father’s shoes, which has caused disturbances in his studies. “If I change anything to reduce the stress I feel, it would be our family income. My family worked in trade for years but things really started to deteriorate after I was born — just as the blockade started and the borders closed. Last year I had no time to dedicate to

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

school at all, because of how much needed to be done at home. My father cannot get up and move so I have to be present for everything and can never fall short in terms of anything relating to our home. I am the arm and leg of the house.” To add to Ahmed’s struggles, during the recent round of violence, Ahmed’s home was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. Many of his family’s coveted belongings — such as their air conditioner — were buried under the rubble. Since his father is unable to seek out what little work is available, Ahmed feels even more pressure to find a way to rebuild what was lost, all the while dealing with lingering psychological pain from the war. “The war was very difficult on everyone, but I don’t think anyone truly understands the full extent of the harm and pain unless they experience this tangible form of loss themselves. There have been other wars in which I was hanging between life and death, but this last aggression was the first to have such a profound impact on me. My strength is my father. I thank God for giving me a father who cares so deeply about the needs and future of his children.”

When asked about his future in Gaza, Ahmed was unsure. While he has personal goals to pursue media and communication studies, he struggles to imagine a Gaza without challenges. “We can see from history how successful Gaza used to be — from innovation to international exports — but with the siege and the closure of the borders this has become impossible. I can’t imagine Gaza ever going back to what it once was. I can only hope to adapt by generating enough income to alleviate some of the present challenges.” Such a response is understandable. As a teen in Gaza, the reality of living under siege is all Ahmed knows. Remaining grateful for what he already has is a higher priority than fighting to change something out of his control. Ahmed holds much gratitude toward his family and life, reflecting on it with a sense of humility, appreciation and optimism. “While I will take the steps I need to succeed, to me, the most important thing is my family.”

Their Stories

Rahaf At the tender age of 12, Rahaf is an extremely bright and driven little girl with an array of interests and aspirations. She is known to engulf herself in reading, writing and scientific research, and is a huge fan of listening to music. She says it’s what gives her strength to keep going. Despite the challenges that surround her, Rahaf is determined to remain optimistic. She refuses to let anything come in the way of her education and her ultimate dream of becoming a well-renowned physician that will find the cure for cancer. The conditions created by the blockade have led to many physical and mental setbacks for Rahaf. She is an avid member of her school’s science club and is almost always working on research or carrying out experiments and projects. As a child in Gaza however, this is no simple task. Daily electricity blackouts, as well as limited access to equipment, tools and materials make it extremely difficult for Rahaf to carry out her education. Rahaf knows that these challenges also limit her creativity

as the lack of access to materials does not allow for many of her ideas and projects to be realised. Even at such a young age, the blockade and multiple wars have already had an impact upon Rahaf’s life. “During the recent violence, we spent so many nights in strangers’ apartments to escape the bombing. We were awake all night, not able to get a wink of sleep because of bombs exploding in the distance, praying that they wouldn’t fall on my family. I was really distressed at the time and even suffered physically. I felt completely sick to my stomach from the stress.” In the midst of the violence, Rahaf was able to draw strength from her mother. Rahaf knew how scared her mom was, but she nonetheless continued to pray and consistently remained optimistic. Rahaf admired her mother’s faith and trust in God and it gave her a sense of comfort in a violent situation. With her father no longer being present due to his abusive

behavior, Rahaf’s mother has become her family’s lifeline in more ways than one, leaving her to support her children in an economy that is already hanging on by a thread. Apart from drawing strength from her mother, Rahaf says she has been able to regain strength from access to psychological support. Even at her young age, Rahaf acknowledges that many, if not most, people living under Israeli siege are unable to access mental health support and are forced to suppress their intense and sometimes crippling feelings. “Even when I fall and hurt myself, I will continue to run towards my dream” is a line from a song that she has etched into her memory and continues to think about when life in Gaza threatens to overwhelm. “I remember that line and say InshaAllah (God willing), I will continue to move forward and achieve my dreams.”

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Their Stories

Emaan | Rahaf’s Mother Emaan is a single mother who has courageously taken on the responsibility of raising four children, including Rahaf, on her own. Her priority in life is her children. She works hard to make sure they are provided for, protected and have a chance at a successful life. While individuals in her community have occasionally made the mistake of perceiving Emaan to be weak, assuming they can take advantage of her for being alone with her children, Emaan has time and again stood tall and strong before everyone, making sure her children are safe. “Anyone who knows me knows not to come after myself or my children. I am like a cat, extremely protective over my children to the point where I will do anything it takes to protect them. I will not hesitate to call the police or go to great lengths to seek justice and fairness.” Emaan describes her biggest regret in life to be moving back to the Gaza Strip in 2004 after having lived in the UAE for several years. Only three years after moving back to Gaza, Israel imposed its air, sea and land blockade, restricting the movement of people and

goods, and crippling the local economy. While Emaan is grateful that she owns her family’s apartment and has some sense of security, she and her children have experienced significant trauma as a result of insecurity from the seemingly endless and unpredictable war. “I do not sleep. I can’t sleep at night… only a few hours around dawn if I’m lucky. I stopped having dreams. When I go to bed, the sound of the bombs continue to ring in my ears all the time. During the last war, we kept waking up in the middle of the night to warning strikes and bombs going off. We had to empty our building so many times I keep preparing to leave again.” As a mother trying to raise children under the conditions imposed by the blockade and constant violence, Emaan stays strong for her children but often struggles to find answers for their questions. Her daughters often complain as to why they should waste money on tuition to study when there won’t be any jobs waiting for them upon graduation. Emaan emotionally shared that one of her daughters even went so far as to question Emaan’s

decision to bring her into this world. “During the last war, one of the times we were forced to leave our house, my daughter asked me why I gave birth to her. She accused me of bringing her into this world just to suffer. She told me she was terrified of dying and didn’t want to hear these sounds from the bombs.” Emaan has struggled with her mental health over the years, pondering the reason for her existence. Like others in Gaza, she sometimes experiences suicidal ideation. Ultimately, it is her faith in God and the strength she derives from this that keeps her grounded. Her family and the relationships she formed at local not-for-profits have also been a source of support for her psychologically, physically and morally. Emaan is a selfless, giving and caring mother who constantly puts her children before herself. Her one wish for her future is to be able to secure a life that is comfortable for her children. “I believe that a person’s legacy lies in their children and their love for each other. I am grateful that my kids are each different parts of one body.”

“During the last war, one of the times we were forced to leave our house, my daughter asked me why I gave birth to her. She accused me of bringing her into this world just to suffer. She told me she was terrified of dying and didn’t want to hear these sounds from the bombs.”

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

Their Stories

Hamza Hamza is a talented 15 year-old boy who is popular in Gaza due to his appearance on The Voice Lebanon. His family, teachers and friends have always pushed him to continue singing, especially his mother, who gives him the confidence to pursue his dreams. While Hamza wishes to continue pursuing music as well as the sciences, the blockade and several rounds of bombing have left him with significant barriers to overcome. Hamza was around seven years old when he was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. To survive, he has to monitor his blood sugar levels and take insulin injections daily. However, because of the blockade’s restrictions on the flow of goods and the consequently high price of insulin, it is becoming more and more difficult for his family to get his medical supplies. “Insulin should never be something that gets cut off at the border. It should be coming

in on a very regular basis. Without it, we cannot regulate our sugar. This can mean life or death for people like me who live with diabetes.”

diabetes. In fact, several studies have found a link between childhood trauma, acute fear and post-traumatic stress disorder, and an increase in Type 1 diabetes in children10.

Although the exact cause of Hamza’s illness is unknown, Hamza believes his condition was triggered after an intense round of violence in 2014 that left his entire family distraught.

Despite struggling with his illness, Hamza holds much hope for his future, envisioning himself as a future physician who specializes in treating and finding a cure for diabetes. Of course, he also devotes a lot of his time to his extraordinary talents for music and singing. Though Hamza was unable to make it into the final rounds of The Voice, Hamza has been able to share his talents with the rest of the world through his YouTube channel and Instagram page which has over 32,000 followers.

“After bombs went off near our home in 2014, my whole family screamed and panicked. I was very scared and fearing for my life during that time — which was also when my illness began. I spoke to a lot of other kids who said they developed diabetes right after the bombings. I honestly believe I have this illness because of the immense fear I felt at that time.” Although it is difficult to find the source of Hamza’s diabetes, studies have shown that environmental and genetic factors can play a decisive role in one’s likelihood to get

“I hope one day I can become a big singing artist that can deliver the message of Palestine and Gaza to the world through music.”

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Their Stories

Najwa | Hamza’s Mother As a mother of three, including Hamza, Najwa is deeply invested in her children’s lives, giving much-needed attention and love to all of her children. It is through this attention and encouragement to pursue music skills that her son Hamza developed his vocal talents and began to receive online international recognition for his singing. Against all odds, Hamza was able to land a spot on The Voice Lebanon. However, border restrictions due to the blockade made it nearly impossible for Hamza to keep up with the show’s scheduling demands for auditions that took place in Egypt and Lebanon. Nonetheless, Najwa worked hard to support her son, managing to find an intermediary to sort out Hamza’s papers so he could have the same opportunity as the other contestants. “My ambitions for Hamza were not as far as him getting selected from this competition, but rather my ambition for him was always to make him discover something for himself, find

joy in his skills and not feel left out, especially since he suffers from diabetes.” Hamza’s journey with diabetes has been one of the biggest challenges for Najwa to navigate in her role as a mother in Gaza. The high costs of insulin paired with Najwa’s unemployment and limited government assistance has made it increasingly difficult to provide for Hamza’s needs as he ages. Because of this, Najwa has had to rely on medical relief organizations to afford regular testing and insulin, which is not without its limitations and restrictions. “Insulin pens are very costly, and as Hamza grows older, his needs become greater as his food intake increases. As a teenager, there are even more rapid fluctuations and unpredictability with sugar. It is almost impossible to have it be regulated at one level. Managing this is our biggest hardship. If I was able to readily afford his insulin strips, I would feel a lot better.”

Najwa has emphasized how receiving psychological support is so incredibly important to her and her family, as she feels her own psychological health will be reflected in the health of her kids. Services offered by not-for-profits have allowed her to develop a routine in life and transform difficult situations into sources of strength. Even though Najwa was forced to leave school due to her financial situation, her dreams of graduating from university are still present. She remains resilient, headstrong and confident in herself and her children’s abilities, and her optimism only reflects how seriously she takes her role as a mother. “You will never erase my role in my children’s lives. For what I wasn’t able to achieve on my own due to my life’s circumstances, and for what I could not do to build a name for myself, I now compensate by growing and nurturing my children’s talents.”

“You will never erase my role in my children’s lives. For what I wasn’t able to achieve on my own due to my life’s circumstances, and for what I could not do to build a name for myself, I now compensate by growing and nurturing my children’s talents.”

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

Postscript Border closures and migration restrictions imposed by the blockade have triggered a stark increase in unemployment, food insecurity, poverty, and social and physical isolation of Palestinians from their relatives and homeland11. Compounded with several crippling military interventions, Palestinians in Gaza are living in a state of constant vulnerability, which has had a damaging impact on their mental health and wellbeing. The magnitude of the trauma is not uniform and can be expressed in multifaceted, interwoven and diverse ways. When examined together however, many of the individual stories touched on similar themes varying from the effects of unemployment to expressions of gratitude for what little one has.

Gaza is Facing an Unemployment Crisis As a consequence of the blockade on Gaza, many young men and women have limited access to employment and the labour market, with barriers such as border restrictions, unrealistic qualification demands, and a difficult-to-obtain work permit system12 hindering their ability to gain sustainable work and income opportunities. As the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has revealed, Gaza has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world and because of this, more than half of the population lives under the poverty line. UNCTAD has attributed these high levels of unemployment and poverty to Israel’s prolonged blockade and military operations in the Gaza Strip, which have cost Gaza’s local economy nearly 17 billion dollars since 200713. The gravity of the unemployment crisis in Gaza can be felt in every story in this report. Every one of the mothers we spoke

to expressed their dream to be able to finish their education, obtain a job in their field and provide an income for their families. Even the few families who still have a stable source of income are still feeling the pressure and are struggling to pay their bills.

“We can put food on the table, but we need a greater income to meet our other needs like buying a fan… this may seem small but the heat is unbearable.” Ahmed In speaking with Gaza’s mothers, we hear about the barriers to obtaining stable, professional work. While it is already difficult to obtain sustainable work as a man, it is nearly impossible as a woman 14 .Many mothers will do whatever they can to put food on the table and provide for their families, taking on informal jobs related to cooking or cleaning for example — despite these opportunities being outside of their actual interests, skill sets and educational backgrounds.

Water and Electricity are Scarce in Gaza With millions of Palestinians jobless and dependent on humanitarian aid to survive, securing and protecting their physical health has been a challenge, as access to clean water and electricity are compromised. Families trapped in poverty, and especially young children, are at risk of water and sanitation- related health complications. The UN has reported on this health crisis in Gaza, and has stated over 95 percent of Gaza water is deemed unsafe to drink or contaminated with waterborne diseases15. Ayah touched on this issue in her interview, stating “Water is so important. It is essential for so many reasons

and yet we don’t have safe access to it”. One can also see the concern for clean water in Rahaf’s interview, as she mentioned that she was trying to work on a project relating to water, but lacked the proper supplies. Alongside the water system, the electricity system in Gaza has deteriorated after multiple Israeli offensives destroyed key infrastructure. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently reported that over 80 percent of Palestinians in Gaza are living their lives in the dark, experiencing chronic shortages of electricity that have a profound impact on their lives16. When asked about day-to-day hardships in Gaza, nearly every one of our interviewees cited electricity outages as an ongoing problem. For Najwa, electricity outages mean the loss of potential employment as she is unable to keep a fridge running long enough to run a bakery out of her home. For Ayah and Rahaf, electricity outages mean an interruption of their schoolwork, impeding their ability to gain a proper education. For Hamza and Anwar, electricity outages can mean life or death, as both rely on electricity to store their life-saving supplies of insulin that are already difficult to come by. In Gaza, there is no place to turn toward to fulfill these basic needs. Under the blockade, the ability to travel outside of the Gaza Strip for medical treatment has been severely compromised, with less than 50 percent of medical requests being approved by Israel17. Likewise, the flow of essential goods and medical supplies has been impeded by border restrictions. Vulnerable Palestinians, including children, the elderly, or those living with chronic illnesses, are unable to gain consistent access to life-sustaining medical supplies.

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Postscript Cont’d Challenges to Mental Health and Wellbeing Just as the blockade and military interventions have had profound impacts on physical health and wellbeing, they equally affect the mental health and wellbeing of Palestinians living in Gaza, all of whom have experienced the trauma of instability, vulnerability and warfare in their lifetimes. The Israeli military bombardments of recent years have inflicted deep physical and psychological damage on many Palestinans, including children in particular. Emotions of fear, terror, guilt, hopelessness and isolation are common reactions to the violence witnessed and the conditions imposed by the blockade. Nonetheless, perhaps due to the gravity of the trauma they experience, many Palestinian children are apprehensive about acknowledging and discussing the pain they are going through, rather normalizing their experiences as a part of everyday life. Psychological studies have illustrated how the coping strategy of normalization can be used to foster and maintain a sense of resilience in the face of ongoing violent living conditions; as their situation is often unchanging and repetitive in nature, they become “numb” to their circumstances18. We identified the presence of this normalization coping mechanism throughout our interviews. While many of the children we interviewed initially insisted that they were “fine,” even going so far as to say they were “not afraid” of the bombs that have terrorized the Gaza Strip, it is clear from the stories they tell that the blockade and accompanying violence have imprinted lasting trauma on many of these children. We see the normalization of these injustices as just another part of life, and the

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

repetition of phrases such as “everything is fine” as a way of coping with the oppressions they experience and the trauma they endure. Moreover, in a culture that emphasizes resilience and strong faith, these children alluded to the fact that expressing emotions such as fear or terror is perceived to be a sign of weakness or low faith. The unfortunate consequence of the neglected mental health crisis and normalization of extreme uninterrupted violence have led to alarming rates of suicide and suicide attempts in Gaza. Islamic Relief’s “Dreams on Hold” report found that 44 percent of youth reported engaging in self-harm and suicidal behaviours to cope with their depression and anxiety, and to alleviate the pain and desperation they feel19. Out of the ten people we interviewed, two admitted to having suicidal thoughts and even ideation at particularly difficult points in their lives. Other children pointed out that they were unafraid at the prospect of death. Such fearlessness at the thought of facing death could correlate to a strong faith and high spiritual station; however, it could also be a result of despair. While there is a clear mental health crisis underfoot in the Gaza Strip, children and women alike cited local not-forprofits as critical supports for their mental health and wellbeing.

Children in Gaza Grow Up Quickly It was immediately evident throughout our research that in Gaza, children grow up very quickly. While most Canadian children and young adults are not very knowledgeable on the intricacies of their national history or the current political climate they live within, the Palestinian children we interviewed demonstrated a general consciousness of the large-scale effects and barriers imposed by the Israeli occupation. They also were extremely knowledgeable of their family histories and how these personal histories intertwine with their national history. Because of this political awareness, many children and young people expressed strong convictions and dedications to make a difference in their society.

“I want to help the underprivileged and do everything in my power to help Palestinians and allow us to prosper in our country.” Salah Aware of the gravity of the political climate, children often recall looking up to their parents as sources of strength and inspiration. Likely seeking to emulate their behaviour, some of the children interviewed expressed the importance of staying strong for their families, whether through airstrikes or financial strain. Indeed, seemingly inspired by his father’s desire to take care of his family, Ahmed feels a particular pressure to provide for his family while his father remains unable to work.

Postscript Cont’d “I actually did not cry once during the war. Tears and fears had to be mine alone, but to spread that around everyone would be a disaster.”

“For me, the worst thing is to be perceived as a victim of something and made to feel like a weak person. That is not who I am.”

Ayah

Fatima

“There is the pressure of learning but also working at home to take care of my family…. I am the arm and leg of the house.”

“If I were to be someone who stopped at every barrier, I would never learn anything or achieve my dreams. I have the conviction that I need to be someone who makes an impact.”

Ahmed

Ayah

Strength, Humility & Resilience of Palestinians Despite the overwhelming challenges facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, there is an undeniable sense of gratitude, humility and resilience present throughout the interviews. Even when faced with hardship, everyone expressed gratitude for what little they had and an eagerness to maintain their dignity and adapt to the situations in front of them, rather than falling victim to their circumstances.

Many of those interviewed cited their faith in God as their primary source of strength, followed by family and extended networks. In the context of the Gaza Strip, Palestinians rely on one another for the strength to survive. The community is very tight-knit and interdependent, likely due to their shared struggles and experiences. While it may seem inconceivable to North Americans, in Gaza during times of crisis, families have been known to welcome strangers in their home when they experience displacement or the imminent threat of airstrikes, as we saw in Toqa’s and Rahaf’s interviews.

While recognizing the injustices of their reality, these children continue to be resilient and hold onto hope for positive changes in the future. Our interviews revealed that Palestinian children growing up in Gaza are incredibly adaptable. They do not wait for circumstances that are out of their control to change, but seek to adapt wherever necessary and find innovative ways to respond to the challenges they face. Every child interviewed expressed their hopes to transform their passions for art, science and music into lifelong careers. Some children even shared their desire to use their career ambitions to make a difference for their communities, while mothers were adamant that they had not given up on their dreams to complete their education. Despite all of the barriers Palestinians face, our stories reveal that the people of Gaza will always continue to find creative ways to survive, thrive and hold onto hope and their faith in God.

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

Conclusion While Palestinians continue to demonstrate strength and resilience when faced with adversity, it is clear from our collection of stories that the blockade and years of military interventions into the Gaza Strip are having a lasting impact on Palestinians, not only materially but psychologically as well. Time and again, those interviewed emphasized how blockade-enforced border restrictions impede their ability to receive and gain access to affordable essential medical supplies, such as insulin pens. They emphasized how the blockade has forced mothers out of employment and have impeded children from advancing their education. Our interviewees also emphasized how years of blockade and military interventions have made it difficult to envision a Gaza free from occupation and an economic stranglehold.

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA

The political and socio-economic landscape within Gaza has become more critical day by day, so much so that the United Nations had warned that Gaza would become “uninhabitable” by 2020 if the blockade persisted20. Understanding the gravity of the situation facing Palestinians, the United Nations has consistently condemned Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. In 2016, through Resolution 233421, the UN Security Council urged countries around the world to accelerate their diplomatic efforts to end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land without delay, once again calling on Israel to abide by its international legal obligations and responsibilities. As a result of these statements and the clear injustices facing Palestinians in Gaza, Islamic

Relief Canada has joined UN agencies22 and international NGOs such as World Vision, Oxfam and Amnesty International23 in calling for an end to the blockade on Gaza. We urge the Canadian government and international partners to condemn violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and leverage their positions of influence to demand an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza and occupation of the Palestinian territories. Only when Palestinians can live freely — and there is lasting peace —will we be able to guarantee the physical and mental wellbeing of future generations in Gaza.

Works Cited 1

United Nations. “Gaza humanitarian timeline since 2005 – IRIN News Article.” United Nations - The Question of Palestine, 01 Aug. 2010, https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-207191/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021.

Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dreams On Hold, Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2021, https://issuu.com/islamicreliefcanada/docs/dreamsonhold-1?fr=sOWU0MTI1NzMzMDg.

United Nations Trade and Development Board. Report on UNCTAD assistance to the Palestinian people: Developments in the economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2015, https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/tdb62d3_en.pdf.

UNICEF State of Palestine. Escalation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Israel, UNICEF, 2021, https://www.unicef.org/media/99371/file/State-of-Palestine-SitRep-No.3-Gaza-Escalation-May-2021.pdf.

Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dreams On Hold, Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2021, https://issuu.com/islamicreliefcanada/docs/dreamsonhold-1?fr=sOWU0MTI1NzMzMDg.

UNICEF. “Children bear brunt of violence in Gaza.” UNICEF, 21 May 2021, https://www.unicef.org/stories/children-bear-brunt-violence-gaza. Accessed 13 Aug 2021.

Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dreams On Hold, Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2021, https://issuu.com/islamicreliefcanada/docs/dreamsonhold-1?fr=sOWU0MTI1NzMzMDg.

Goldhill, Olivia. “Palestine’s head of mental health services says PTSD is a western concept.” Quartz, 13 Jan. 2019, https://qz.com/1521806/palestines-head-of-mental-health-services-says-ptsd-is-a-western-concept/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021.

10 Nygren, M., et al. Experience of a serious life event increases the risk for childhood type 1 diabetes: the ABIS population-based prospective cohort study. Diabetologia, vol. 58, 2015, pp. 1188-1197, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-015-3555-2. 11 Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dreams On Hold, Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2021, https://issuu.com/islamicreliefcanada/docs/dreamsonhold-1?fr=sOWU0MTI1NzMzMDg. 12 Al Jazeera. “Gaza Strip: A beginner’s guide to an enclave under blockade.” Al Jazeera, 14 Mar. 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/14/a-guide-to-the-gaza-strip. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. 13 UNCTAD. “Israeli occupation cost Gaza $16.7 billion in past decade - UNCTAD estimates.” UNCTAD, 25 Nov. 2020, https://unctad.org/news/israeli-occupation-cost-gaza-167-billion-past-decade-unctad-estimates/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. 14 Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dreams On Hold, Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2021, https://issuu.com/islamicreliefcanada/docs/dreamsonhold-1?fr=sOWU0MTI1NzMzMDg. 15 UNICEF. “Gaza children face acute water and sanitation crisis.” UNICEF, 01 Sept. 2017, https://www.unicef.org/stories/gaza-children-face-acute-water-sanitation-crisis. Accessed 13 Aug 2021. 16 International Committee of the Red Cross. The Impact of the Electricity Crisis on The Humanitarian & Living Conditions in the Gaza Strip – Survey Study, The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 2020, https://www.icrc.org/en/document/gaza-electricity. 17 Al Jazeera. “Gaza Strip: A beginner’s guide to an enclave under blockade.” Al Jazeera, 14 Mar. 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/14/a-guide-to-the-gaza-strip. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. 18 Afana, Abdelhamid J., et al. “Coping with Trauma and Adversity among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip: A Qualitative, Culture-Informed Analysis.” Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 25, no. 12, 2020, pp. 2031–2048, https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318785697. 19 Islamic Relief Worldwide. Dreams On Hold, Islamic Relief Worldwide, 2021, https://issuu.com/islamicreliefcanada/docs/dreamsonhold-1?fr=sOWU0MTI1NzMzMDg. 20 United Nations Trade and Development Board. Report on UNCTAD assistance to the Palestinian people: Developments in the economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2015, https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/tdb62d3_en.pdf. 21 United Nations Security Council. Resolution 2334 (2016), United Nations, 2016, https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/tdb62d3_en.pdf. 22 UN News. “UN agencies join in shared call for end to Israeli blockade of Gaza.” United Nations, 14 Jun. 2012, https://news.un.org/en/story/2012/06/413162-un-agencies-join-shared-call-end-israeli-blockade-gaza. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. 23 Oxfam International. “35 aid organizations and 150,000 people launch public call to end Gaza blockade.” Oxfam International, 14 Aug. 2015, https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/35-aid-organizations-and-150000-people-launch-public-call-end-gaza-blockade. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021.

DREAMS FOR FREEDOM | VOICES FROM THE GROUND | GAZA, PALESTINE

ISL AMIC RELIEF CANADA