The Eyes of Gaza

I put off reading The Eyes of Gaza because I thought it would be harrowing. It was: A diary written in Gaza while, week after week, bombs and missiles fall on families and children, homes, schools, and infrastructure. I can’t do justice to the pain and grief. I can’t even fully comprehend the suffering. “No one in Gaza is alive through anything other than sheer luck.” The Palestinians from Gaza suffer trauma and devastation, but they are still resilient, still human. Alaqad documents many examples of “survival through camaraderie, generosity and mutual support.” They help a small boy rescue his pet plant from the rubble of his house; a boy hands out sweets to refugees; ordinary people offer shelter to homeless strangers…