A true story that happened to me yesterday !

I was sitting at an internet access point, surrounded by people, but feeling completely alone. The ache in my stomach was growing unbearable, gnawing at my focus and making everything seem blurry. There was nothing to eat, not even a single crumb to hold me over. Frustrated, the words slipped out, almost to myself, “I don’t know what to eat… I’m starving.” Not far from me, a woman sat quietly, her tent barely standing amidst the makeshift camp. I saw her notice me, and a moment later, she was by my side, holding out a can of meat and a piece of bread. Her face held a strength I couldn’t begin to understand, and as she handed me the food, she gently said, “Eat, my child. May it give you health and strength.” As I started eating, humbled by her kindness, she began to share her story. Her voice was steady but carried a weight so heavy it filled the air. She told me how her two sons, her whole world, had been killed at the Kuwaiti roundabout in northern Gaza. They had gone to fetch flour, trying to keep their family fed in the midst of everything. But they never made it back.

She looked away for a moment, her eyes distant, reliving the worst moments of her life. After they were gone, she had no choice but to flee south alone.

Then, almost as if speaking to herself, she said softly, “I hate that word ‘starving.’” It wasn’t just a word to her; it was the echo of what she had lost, of everything taken from her.

Despite the harsh scarcity of food, the overwhelming lack of resources, and the relentless struggle to make ends meet, the women and mothers of Gaza continue to show a boundless generosity that defies all odds. You are not just a mother to me, but the mother of all the youth of Gaza. May God have mercy on your children. You have become the one who holds a special place in my heart, just as my own mother once did. Your strength and warmth fill the emptiness of a world that seems to have forgotten its humanity, and in your embrace, I find solace.

I used to cry out, "Help me save my family from death be it by shelling, a missile strike, or the piercing bullets of aircraft." Now, beyond all of this relentless danger, we are also being consumed by starvation. For an entire year, our bodies have been deprived of any food that truly sustains life, any nourishment that could ease our agony. Our bones are brittle, our strength is vanishing. I can feel us withering away, and I have no idea how much longer we can hold on.

https://gofund.me/6d3bce17

This is all that remains for us to eat, and if you somehow manage to get it, you’re considered one of the lucky ones. Processed, canned meat — it neither nourishes nor satisfies, but still, we say Alhamdulillah. We make do with what little we have, holding onto faith as our hearts remain full, even when our stomachs are empty. This is survival in its rawest form — a constant struggle, yet somehow, through it all, we find the strength to give thanks.