“Our lives have come to a complete halt – now revolving around long queues to fetch water from random sources, carrying it by hand over long distances, and exhausting ourselves to find enough food to keep our children alive in nearly empty markets.”

Tents have become their “temporary shelters”. They move from one to another whenever danger draws near – and only when absolutely necessary: “We move to search for safety that no longer exists amid relentless airstrikes.”

“The roar of drones never leaves the sky, and explosions have become part of our daily routine. Darkness swallows everything, and the streets have turned to ruins from bombing and invasion. Joyful moments have vanished, and friends are gone – everyone is drowning in their own sorrow and struggles.”

So far, over 61,700 people have died, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

“I nearly dropped my phone after seeing a video of my colleague’s lifeless body.”

Everybody has lost a loved one in this war, Mohammed said. He, himself, has lost dozens of relatives, some killed alongside their entire families in airstrikes on their homes. He’s also lost at least four neighbours including a childhood friend.

Meanwhile, five of his colleagues were also killed – “one of whom I think of every time I drink a cup of coffee.”

“He worked in the services department, always bringing us hot drinks with his usual smile. I’m not exaggerating when I say coffee has never tasted the same since he was gone.”

The hardest part of all this loss, he explained, is that they couldn’t even say goodbye. People in Gaza only discover the deaths of their loved ones through online posts or calls when telecommunications and internet hasn’t been cut off by Israel.

These are often shut off for extended periods ranging from days to weeks and during these periods it is impossible to contact anyone who isn’t in your vicinity.

“When an airstrike hits near your sister’s house, your brother’s, or your friend’s, you live in pure terror—desperately trying to reach them but unable to. Once, I nearly dropped my phone after seeing a video of my colleague’s lifeless body wrapped in a white shroud. “

“Only his face was visible. He was laid beside his mother, his wife, and his children—all killed in a single strike on their home in Jabalia camp. He had recently completed his master’s degree and dreamed of pursuing a PhD abroad.”

Life after ceasefire: a famine crisis

A US-backed ceasefire went into force in January. Thousands of Palestinians celebrated and returned back to their ravaged homes. It was the first time in 15 months that the land would no longer have to endure daily drone and airstrikes.

“International humanitarian aid began flowing into the Strip, goods became available, and prices dropped,” Mohammed said of the ceasefire.

It laid out a path for permanently ending the war and saw the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

But this quickly dissolved two months later when Israel decided to restart its attacks.

“With the resumption of war, the crisis quickly returned—worse than before.”

Prior to the ceasefire, aid was limited but occasionally allowed. It was far from meeting the population’s basic needs but, at least helped keep some essential goods available.

Since fighting resumed, Israel completed halted aid from entering Gaza. The excuse is that products intended for citizens were being used by or sold for Hamas fighters – a claim the militant group denies.

Food, water and cooking gas haven’t entered the enclave in two months.

“Famine now looms over more than two million people, and the majority of the population is surviving on just one meager meal a day, often lacking any source of protein.”

Residents have also resorted to burning wood to prepare their food, further deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.

Securing food for his children is Mohammed’s constant worry. He hasn’t been able to provide meat, chicken, fish, eggs or milk for over 50 days. They rely solely on canned beans, peas, and fava beans, but overconsumption has harmed their health due to preservatives.

Markets are nearly empty, and what remains is unaffordable for most with prices skyrocketing up to 1,400% compared to pre-ceasefire. Over 90% of the population faces critical levels of food insecurity, the UN World Food Programme confirmed.

“No medical study is needed—our frail bodies and hospitals overflowing with malnourished children speak for themselves.”

The dangers of reporting

Since the start of the daily attacks on Gaza, Israel has killed 232 journalists, according to Al Jazeera.

“Every death brings frantic calls from my family, checking if I’m alive. We are open targets, despite international protections. But we continue with whatever means we have—lacking resources, but not determination.”

Asking Mohammed how he maintains his courage to continue reporting, despite the targeting of journalists, he replied: “Our moral duty is to deliver the truth, so the world knows what happens in Gaza.”

As the attacks rage on, the future of Gaza becomes more and more compromised. Earlier today, Israel confirmed its intentions to seize Gaza indefinitely, confirming the argument of many – including Mohammed’s – that this was never about Hamas, it is about forcing Gazans out and stealing their land.

“We Palestinians are victims of the Israeli right-wing’s ambitions to uproot Gazans, as in the 1948 Nakba. This isn’t speculation—it’s confirmed by extremist ministers like Ben Gvir and Smotrich, who openly call for occupying Gaza, building settlements, and resettling Israelis on our ruins.”

The decision to expand means more people will fall victim to Israel’s imperial aims and mass displacement is likely, Mohammed explained.

It seems Israel plans to force hundreds of thousands to flee from northern Gaza to the south, similar to the first waves of displacement at the beginning of the war, he continued,

“This decision has left the population—including my family and me—deeply frustrated and anxious. As I have said before, Israel aims through this war to confine Palestinians to narrow areas lacking infrastructure, then eventually push them to migrate from Gaza to unknown destinations.”

This would pave the way for the construction of illegal settlements and the replacement of the original inhabitants with extremist Israeli settlers, in blatant violation of international law.

As Gaza’s future hangs in limbo, Mohammed and millions like him continue to endure what many would not survive. He continues to bravely report the onslaught of his people while trying to protect and provide for his family in the hopes that one day, soon, they will be safe.

“Even if the bombing ends, new battles will begin: searching for thousands buried under rubble, rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure, and rehabilitating a traumatised population.” 

“This will take years of effort and solidarity.”