A 45-year-old from a-Tufah neighborhood in Gaza City
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve dreamt of living in dignity like other people around the world. I love life but here in the Gaza Strip, my freedom is limited because of the political and economic situation. I graduated secretarial and PR studies, but now I only volunteer. I’m unemployed, but there are no unemployment benefits here.
I dream of having a steady supply of electricity, day and night. We’ve been suffering from this crisis for more than 15 years. It’s hard without electricity, in summer and in winter. How long will this go on? Is there any country or city in the world suffering such a bad electricity crisis? How is it even conceivable that we live in the 21st century without electricity?
I’ve never left the Gaza Strip, although I’ve dreamt of traveling to other places since childhood. I have friends in the West Bank, but we’re only in touch via social media because of the Israeli army’s checkpoints. I dream of visiting them and praying at al-Aqsa Mosque, but I’m not allowed to travel to the other part of my homeland. I have the right to travel in my own country, just like people in other countries. Why can I only see Palestinian cities in the West Bank on TV or online? Is that fair?
We can’t even enjoy the sea, because it’s polluted and controlled by the Israeli army. In other places in the world you can sail the sea, but we’re not allowed. I dream of sailing to other countries. I hope the world sees our suffering and helps us, but I find it hard to believe, because the occupation silences the voices of the Palestinian people. Sometimes I dream of leaving Gaza, but I don’t even have a passport. It would take a miracle.
" “Sometimes, when I smile while everyone else is depressed, I feel ashamed. Sometimes, I dream of waking up in the morning and seeing people in Gaza smiling.” .
Life here is full of fear and anxiety. We have no security and the situation is unstable. People around the world have normal dreams, and only we in Gaza dream of the blockade and war ending and for Israel’s leaders to stop threatening us. We live in fear of another war.
My mother, who has a disability, was mentally unwell throughout my childhood because of all the wars she went through. Whenever there was an attack on Gaza, we’d leave our home. She lives in constant anxiety and panics whenever she hears Israeli fighter jets. It’s hard for me to see her crying and help her, because I’m scared too. I dream of a life without hearing planes in the sky. I also dream of the wars stopping so my mother can feel safe.
Sometimes, when I smile while everyone else is depressed, I feel ashamed. I dream of waking up in the morning and seeing people in Gaza smiling. How can we enjoy a good life when our simplest dreams are unfulfilled? What dreams can even come true here? I’ve been suffering since I was a child.
Because of the occupation and the blockade, our freedom is limited. The occupation is destroying everything and restricting our dreams.
* Interviewed and filmed by B'Tselem Field Researchers Khaled al-'Azayzeh and Olfat al-Kurd, B'Tselem.