Video: Surviving war in Gaza, one text message at a time

“Free, free, free Palestine!” “Silence-fire now!” “Every morning I write to the group: ‘Are you all okay?’ This is the fourth day I’ve been trying to reach mom. You know, I come from a relatively small family. Father. Mother. Mohammed. Reema. Reham. Mahmoud. Rule. Ruwa. Shaimaa. My childhood memories. I smell the food my aunts and neighbors were cooking. And when summer comes and the breeze from the beach. But now? Since October 7, my body has been here every day, but my heart is connected to all my family members. So far they are still alive, but they are not doing well. Shushu is the youngest girl, and I am the youngest boy. I helped raise her a bit. We always played together, and we were a bit spoiled in the family. So Shushu, I and my mother were always inseparable. There is no safe place in Gaza. Every time I read that they are bombing a house in Nuseirat or bombing a house in Maghazi or in Zawayda or Deir al Balah or Rafah, I immediately think: is this my sister’s house? Is it my parents’ house? I never thought that this chat group would be the most important thing in my life. It brings the news whether my family is alive or not. I’ll keep trying and praying. Try and pray.”