
Destruction of a sanctuary
Al-Baqa Café provided respite from the war until Israel targeted it and turned it into a scene of carnage.
- Gaza Strip

Al-Baqa Café provided respite from the war until Israel targeted it and turned it into a scene of carnage.

Even as I am overwhelmed by this war, I still long to hope, to bring happiness to others, and to make things a little more normal.

‘Inside me, it felt like someone had shut off all the light,’ Abeer told me. ‘That was when I met Fidaa Hijazi.’

My friend did not get to graduate, become a pharmacist, or complete her novel about life under siege.

Our shared passion is to raise awareness about the suffering of Palestinian prisoners and to be steadfast in standing up for what is right.

Best friends for nine years, they studied, dreamed, rejoiced, and wept together—until Israel stole Amal from Nada.

He lives on in my memories of our literary debates, the smell of shakshuka, and my sorrow for his unfulfilled ambitions.

In the back of my mind / the year is different / I still live in my garden.

War steals everything, but nothing prepared me for the moment I lost Batoul and her family.

Three friends meet at the beach and wonder whether their dreams will ever be realized.

A young woman enjoys only a fleeting marriage before the war destroys her and the happiness of her family.

Meeting my two best friends after wartime separation, I wondered: Had the horrors of war changed our friendship?