War, Suffering, and the Unforgiving Scroll
In the age of information overload, where social media reigns supreme, it’s astonishing how easily we can become desensitized to the horrors of war. The endless stream of news headlines, the heart-wrenching images, the pleas for help – all reduced to a mere scroll, a fleeting thought, a momentary pause before we move on to the next trending topic. But for those who have lived through the unrelenting brutality of conflict, the memories of loss, of destruction, of humanity, linger long after the world has moved on.
Personal Experiences of Palestinian Americans
Laila el-Haddad’s story is a testament to the anguish and fear that Palestinian Americans face as they watch their families and homes being destroyed by Israeli forces. As a journalist who has witnessed Israel’s occupation of Gaza firsthand, el-Haddad has seen the worst of humanity, from beheaded babies to decomposing on the ground, and parents holding their children’s lifeless bodies. Despite the constant stream of horrors, el-Haddad’s latest experience has left her feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
“It’s overwhelming because you’re seeing everything just being flattened, being destroyed, being levelled, burning before your eyes,” el-Haddad told Gamestanza. “Everything that you knew is just crumbling away and disappearing, and you feel like there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Laila el-Haddad’s Story: Losing Touch with Relatives and the Constant Fear of Being Killed by Israeli Forces
Half of el-Haddad’s family is still in northern Gaza, which is currently under an Israeli military siege and where Israeli soldiers are saying they are implementing the “General’s Plan”. She has lost touch with many of her relatives currently still living there and spends much of her time thinking about their fate. Whenever she does manage to speak to a family member, she tries having ordinary conversations rather than focusing on the constant fear of being killed by Israeli forces.
“Sometimes, honestly, we try to laugh or just have regular conversations,” el-Haddad said. “On the other hand, I call my brother knowing he won’t pick up.”
The Anguish of Watching the Horror Unfold as the US Media Refuses to Cover the War
The virality of Sunday’s hospital massacre caused many major news outlets to cover the incident. However, since Israel began escalating the war on Gaza into a regional conflict last month, much of the American media attention has shifted towards a potential Israeli war with Iran. With the presidential election just weeks away, the war on Gaza has stopped receiving the same attention, even though Israeli forces continue their assault on the Strip on a near-daily basis.
“It’s just absolutely agonising to have to keep watching this horror unfolding in front of us as the US media absolutely refuses to pay attention,” Munir, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), told Gamestanza. “It’s made it clear to me that the mainstream media is entirely complicit in this genocide. The fact that most Americans are not even seeing these images is unconscionable, especially given the fact that we are literally funding this genocide.”
The Voices of Gaza’s Youth
The voices of Gaza’s youth have been palpably missing in the ongoing war. They have been reduced to grim statistics by a media overwhelmed by the brutality of the ongoing genocide that has claimed the lives of more than 52,000 Palestinians to date.
A Collection of Stories, Poems, and Essays from Young Palestinians in Gaza
This book, which started as an online platform, is the ultimate corrective, featuring a constellation of stories, poems, and essays from 59 young Palestinians in Gaza. Through their eyes, we witness the richness and warmth of their culture, and the undeniable human impact of the war.
As Allam Zedan surmises in his piece: “I am the generation who has lived through three wars.” Zedan, who as a cheeky sixth-grader sneakily crunched sunflower seeds in class, meets his teacher as a weary young adult. Studying hard is no guarantee of a good job, youth unemployment affected 60 percent of Palestinians in Gaza before the latest war began on 7 October 2023.
Like others facing countless hurdles when seeking work, Zedan’s hopes of self-employment are stymied by his inability to open a bank account. “The fate of young adults like me is to die or languish,” he writes. His teacher, who lost his son when an Israeli shell struck his home during the 2014 war, imparts one final lesson: “Don’t give up… Be patient and stay to fight another day.”
Hope and Resilience in the Midst of War
‘Gaza is our moral compass’
This anthology bridges the gulf, giving insight into the lives of Palestinians in Gaza, and gives weight to their voices. These are not remote news stories, these are young people who love the feeling of sand in their toes, sweet knafeh, and adore Sufi music and Adele with a passion.
The Anthology Bridges the Gulf, Giving Insight into the Lives of Palestinians in Gaza
Nada Hammad writes of “the Colours of Hope” campaign following the 2014 war, of young women lugging paint buckets to Gaza’s al-Mina sea port and splashing the walls a vibrant rainbow as a counterpoint to the grey rubble left in the conflict’s wake.
Book lover Khaled Alostath yearns for the weight of a novel in his palm, rather than squinting at a PDF on his mobile phone. Reading fiction, he explains, is his way of feeling alive, cursing the protagonist of Gene Wolfe’s sci-fi novel Peace – “come and see the hell we live in here”, as the ground shakes beneath his own feet. He scrolls through photographs of the great libraries of the world – London, Washington, DC and Alexandria – and fantasises about perusing their stacks.
Akram Abunahla writes with deft humour of the perils of online shopping in Gaza – his wish to own a collection of traditional music CDs thwarted by a series of byzantine laws that he navigates with gamer-like dexterity.
A 15-year-old Iman Inshasi relocates from UAE to Gaza, initially she berates the choking spigots, the lack of clean water, the intense heat (fans are intermittent because of the lack of power). Eventually, however, her dislike turns to respect as she watches people thrive and survive on very little.
Conclusion
As the article “Israel killed my family and destroyed my home. The world just kept scrolling – Middle East Eye” poignantly illustrates, the devastating consequences of conflict and displacement can have a profound impact on individuals and communities. The author’s personal account of losing loved ones and being forced to flee their home in Gaza serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of war and the often-overlooked struggles of those living in the Middle East.
The article highlights the significant emotional toll that displacement can take on individuals, as well as the societal and economic implications that can have far-reaching consequences. The author’s story is a stark reminder of the need for greater international attention and support for those affected by conflict and displacement. Moreover, it underscores the importance of humanizing the statistics and narratives around conflict, rather than simply scrolling past them.
As we move forward, it is crucial that we continue to amplify the voices of those impacted by conflict and displacement, and work towards creating a more just and equitable world. The author’s words are a poignant reminder that the world must not simply scroll past the struggles of others, but must instead actively engage and work towards creating a more compassionate and just society. As the author so powerfully concludes, “I am still searching for my family, but I will never stop fighting for their memory, and for the rights of all those affected by conflict and displacement.”
