Their words are our truth

8 days in Gaza

“I thought it could end soon and I’ll have my baby in peace” Oct 15, Gaza

There is no safe space for the children living in Gaza now or for the children yet to be born.   

One teacher, in her 40th week of pregnancy, unable to contact her doctor, this morning sent a plea for help and information:  

I started my 40th week in pregnancy.  And since the war started I stopped doing any walking or exercises to stimulate labor. I thought it could end soon and I'll have my baby in peace. But I don't know what to do now to keep postponing it or stimulating it? Maybe it's dangerous ?

Ordinary children who, under normal circumstances, love playing, acting, and listening to stories are hiding drawings of missiles under their pillows, their dreams infected by their daily reality and the horror of war.  

Drawing found today 15 October 2023 under a 12-year-old child’s pillow

Teacher Samir told us:  

….my little daughters now have only one question and can you imagine the question with me. The question isn’t about school or going on a school trip, it is what would happen to their bodies if they were murdered. Would their limbs be torn apart? Would they be put in a casket? Would there be people left to bury their bodies? 

Yet optimism and love persist.  Children still send messages of love to their friends in the outside world. 

Message from a Gazan child to a friend in Spain 8 October 2023

Children are our hope for peace and justice for all in the future. Their hopes are our salvation. Their safety is our responsibility. Their words are our truth.

A student at Beit Hanoun Prep A Girls School wrote these words in 2021.

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There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women currently in the Gaza strip