The Mondoweiss Palestine news team discusses what led to the Israeli escalation in Gaza and the West Bank this past week, its impact on Palestinian and Israeli politics, and what Palestinians in Gaza lived through.
Israel’s 11-day offensive on Gaza last May claimed 259 Palestinian lives, and the UK nonprofit Airwars estimated that between 151 and 192 were “non-combatant” civilians. On just one day Israel killed more than 56 civilians in what has come to be known as the al-Wahda street massacre, while targeting tunnels in Gaza City. Of these, at least 25 fatalities were likely children.
Small business owners in Gaza grapple with mounting debts and no means of income, after their enterprises were destroyed in the escalation with Israel last May.
In late August students in Gaza headed back to schools where many are learning in overcapacity classrooms with up to three sharing a desk, as educators grapple to find places for pupils whose schools were bombed during a recent escalation with Israel.
When it rains, it pours—inside Zoher Alsayd’s living room, kitchen and bedroom to be exact. Like many Palestinians, the former house painter’s home was wrecked by airstrikes during the latest escalation between Israel and Hamas earlier this year in May. And this was not the first time his roof was destroyed. Alsayd belongs to a growing group of Palestinians whose homes were damaged to the point of becoming uninhabitable, not once, but multiple times over the course of these four conflicts with Israel over the last 13 years.
After every ceasefire, Rana Shubair tries to imagine leading a normal life. In Gaza, the bar is set low and means not living under raining bombs. “Mama, who broke our house?” the neighbor’s three-year-old asked. His mother ignored his question. The following day the toddler announced, pleased that he had figured it out, “The Israelis broke our house.”
Mondoweiss is proud to announce our new series Gaza Diaries, which shares firsthand accounts from Palestinians who lived through the 11-day Israeli attack on Gaza in May 2021, and are now dealing with its aftermath. In this entry Zahra Shaikha amends her diary of life during the Israeli attack with her feelings since the fighting. The result reflects her fragmented reality.
Devyn Springer and Abu Shawarib speak to Mohammed El-Kurd, a poet, writer, and activist from Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem, Palestine. This episode is a collaboration with the Groundings Podcast.
At least 38,000 Palestinians have fled their homes and sought shelter in schools run by the United Nations as hundreds of houses were completely destroyed in airstrikes since last Monday. Tareq Hajjaj reports from Gaza where Palestinians describe a night of fear, running from their homes barefoot and gripping children in the midst of Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire.
Photos from the last day in Gaza, where 28 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes.