Occupation and Siege
All Palestinians were born hearing the sounds of occupation or suffering directly from that. In other words, it’s our fate to live like this in Gaza, but it must be a good fate to fight the evil to live in peace. With this I mean that our souls live for a good purpose.
I’m from Khan Younis, in the Southern part of Gaza, and there the siege affects my life in different ways. We have less things, so it has become more expensive. Crossings close, and no students, patients or visitors can travel. Fuel is less, and most of the time the electricity is off, the reason why I can only reply to you once in a while. Even though my husband has a bachelor degree, he is jobless, and I only have a small income from translation. So this siege for me means: No materials, no jobs, no money, no medicine and all in all a hard life.
Giving Birth In War
Last summer I gave birth to my son. It was too difficult. Actually, I was dying. Lots of patients, limited number of doctors, and hospitals and cars got targeted as well. In my house, in a car, at hospital I had nightmares of being targeted. I was afraid to lose my son or to die leaving my son alive.
Son’s Medical Condition
My son is about one year old today, and has atrophy and some deformation. The doctors have told me that my son’s deformation is a result of being exposed to chemical components of the bombs dropped by Israel on Gazans last summer.
The deformation is in my son’s head bones, which affects his eyes a little and his neck.
I applied for a permit to be able to exit Gaza for my son to have surgery, and my permit has finally been accepted for me to go the West Bank to have it done for him there, but now there are security procedures, which I am waiting for.
"My son"
English
I have a bachelor degree and studied the English language and its methodology. I would be happy with any good paid job related to English, such as teaching, writing, translation and whatever relates to it.
Women’s Cause
I began volunteering with the NGO Women for Palestine after graduating. I was an activist and a writer. My job there was to translate news, articles, films and slips. After a while the head of the institution decided to give me a monthly reward, which is very small, and which is what my family and I live on now.
Women for Palestine is a media institution, which produces articles, films and news reports. It works in four languages and really tries to do its best. It focuses on stories of Palestinian women suffering, especially with regards to the general suffering of women in an occupied place.
Israeli Counterpart
I can’t compare the occupier with the occupied. I don’t hate them however. We are all humans, and we both love peace. If there was no occupation, and if a state for Israel existed not on Palestinians’ lands, then I don’t see why I couldn’t be friends with Israelis.
Wishes
I wish I had a well-paid job and a good house. I wish my child could be treated soon. I wish we could be allowed to see other parts of the world and to travel easily. I would love to visit Jerusalem and Mecca, to pray there. I wish we could be allowed to travel to Jordan for my son to be treated there, but Jordan doesn’t allow it, and Israel doesn’t agree. I wish I could sleep with lights on and not face the dark. I wish things were cheaper, and that the crossings were opened. I wish for many things.
But a lot of the world is suffering, not only Gaza, so the problem isn’t the place I am in but the occupation.