we are not numbers

emerging writers from Palestine tell their stories and advocate for their human rights

People continue to find meaning and solace at the beaches even though they are now crowded with tents and garbage.

The sea in Gaza once glistened as if barrels of marine-blue glitter had been poured over its surface. Not now.

The shoreline has changed, the city has disappeared, and our future is hard to fathom.

They said that the sea has been in mourning / Since he sensed the blood of a martyred boy on his waves.

Despite the limitations of the occupation, many Gazans have found a sense of freedom by jumping into the ocean.

I wake up with anticipation. A day at the sea is always special.

The Gaza sea has always been my escape, an oasis of beauty. But one day I realized it, too, has its limits.