ON October 7, 2023, Ola Ahmed Al-Masharaw was in hospital in Gaza City preparing for the birth of her third son. Barely out of the operating theatre, there was little time to celebrate as news began to circulate about the outbreak of war.
“Muhammad’s birthday is a day I will never forget in my life. I took him in my arms, and fear began from that moment until today,” said Ola. “When the bombing started, I wondered if babies could distinguish the bombing and if Muhammad was afraid.”
Soon after, Ola, 31, along with her husband and three sons, were forced to flee their home when Israel issued the first evacuation orders. She was still recovering from a caesarean section when they left their apartment in Tel al-Hawa, for what would be the last time.
Over the course of 15 months, the family was displaced several times. During one evacuation, they walked 3km in the cold, looking for a place of safety. Ola was suffering pain and bleeding from an infected surgery wound. They found kindness from strangers in Al-Maghazi who offered them a place to stay.
Ola recalled: “It was late and we got lost. Muhammad was wearing only light clothes. It’s very difficult to move with children, they were crying and asking for water. Thank God someone offered us an apartment because of my condition; I was in a lot of pain.”
Another evacuation order saw the family displaced once again, this time to a tent in Al- Mawasi, where they currently reside. Despite being designated a “humanitarian zone”, the area came under attack multiple times by Israeli forces.
Ola was a nurse before the war started – now she spends her days searching for basic necessities like food and water, while trying to keep her children distracted from their daily reality.
The family's destroyed apartment block. “It’s very difficult living in a tent, but there is no other solution. In winter it’s very cold,” Ola said. “At times my husband was so tired to go and get flour, and when he couldn’t find any he was full of sadness. I found some toys among the destroyed houses and I took advantage of the opportunity to change the atmosphere for my children.”
After 470 days under Israeli bombardment, Gazans celebrated the news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on Sunday, January 19. Since then Palestinians have been returning to discover what, if anything, is left of their homes.
While there is relief that the bombing has stopped, Ola said it’s hard to comprehend how her family can rebuild their lives amid such destruction. They returned to find their family home in rubble.
Karim with his baby brother Muhammad “The real war has started now,” she said. “I really feel like I was in a nightmare and woke up and found myself and all the people in ruins.
My home is completely destroyed.
We will return to this area, but there is not even a place to set up a tent for shelter.
“Where is the peace? Does peace lie only in a ceasefire? Peace means internal and external security and safety. Where can I go with my little child among this rubble? Where can he play? Where can he eat? Where can he learn peace? This war has eaten away our dreams.”
Ola’s parents and siblings managed to escape from Gaza to Egypt in early 2024 before the Rafah border crossing was closed. With the prospect of the Rafah crossing reopening to allow people to leave Gaza, she hopes to be reunited with them soon.