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00:00 I am Pragya and I bring to you excerpts from the year-ender issue titled "We Bear Witness".
00:06 The issue is dedicated to the people of Gaza and what they went through.
00:11 "The sky seems to be weeping" - Haya Abu Nasir, compiled by Swati Subedar from Outlook.
00:19 Haya Abu Nasir, a human rights activist and writer from Gaza,
00:23 was slated to depart for Malaysia on October 17 to study international relations.
00:29 These days, she is yearning for a cup of coffee and the routine melody of life.
00:35 November 26, 2023.
00:37 In the embrace of a recent rainy day, I sought solace in the melodic strains of Frank Sinatra's tune,
00:44 its nostalgic notes intertwining with the rhythmic cadence of raindrops outside.
00:51 A quaint seaside restaurant had transformed into my sanctuary.
00:55 Through mist-streaked windows, I surveyed the vast sea.
00:59 Conversation flowed around me like steady steam,
01:02 warmed by the comfort found in communal tales.
01:06 I was also feeling the thrill of anticipation.
01:09 I was slated to depart for Malaysia on October 17 to pursue my studies in international relations,
01:16 while continuing my role as a fundraising officer for an NGO.
01:20 For years, I have dedicated myself to advocating for the rights of Palestinians,
01:26 and advancing my learning would increase my impact.
01:29 Upon leaving the refuge of the cafe, I made my way to the library.
01:34 Unaware of the twist of fate awaiting me,
01:37 my small sanctuary was about to fall victim to the ruthlessness of war.
01:42 When we first heard the news of the daring infiltration of Israel by our resistant fighters,
01:48 we felt a flash of wild anticipation.
01:51 Maybe we thought, the world will finally pay attention to us and recognize
01:56 our unwavering determination to stand up against oppression and injustice.
02:01 No longer would we have to live with a pervasive sense of impotence.
02:06 However, within less than 24 hours, our euphoria gave way to stark realization.
02:12 We were being cast as the evil ones.
02:15 The voices and the spin of power, driven by economic interests and political expediency,
02:20 resonated far more than our plea for justice.
02:24 The fragility of our existence became glaringly evident, as I narrowly escaped death two times.
02:31 The first occurred when my family was ordered to leave our home by the Israeli military.
02:38 Seeking safety, my family and I hastily relocated from our residence in the northern
02:43 Gaza City neighborhood of Saftawi to my uncle's home further south.
02:48 The second time came when just two days later, the Israelis heavily bombarded the building
02:54 adjacent to my uncle's house in the Al-Nusayrat camp.
02:58 The aftermath was a grim scene of lifeless bodies, severed limbs and blood, strewn across the streets.
03:07 Thirty of his neighbors died.
03:10 Forced to move a second time, my entire family sought refuge at our grandparent's home in Khan
03:16 Yunis. Then came the third blow a week later.
03:20 The Israeli military destroyed the nearby square, claiming the lives of more than 50.
03:26 Now we had nowhere else to go.
03:27 We relocated to the UN Training Center in Khan Yunis, which is sheltering more than
03:33 30,000 people.
03:35 The only shelter there, in flimsy tents, the embodiment of our fragile hopes, now dashed.
03:42 Like scattered dreams, they crumbled under the relentless assault of rain.
03:46 Children cried and mothers pleaded, but the heaven seemed indifferent.
03:50 In the chaos, the UNRWA warehouse became a battleground, where desperation clashed with
03:57 bureaucracy in the scramble for basic comforts like a tent and blankets.
04:03 We lacked proper clothing to ward off the cold and unforgiving adversary.
04:08 Our displacement, which we initially thought would be brief, has stretched beyond 43 days.
04:14 Bags initially packed for a temporary escape must now sustain us in what has become a nomadic
04:21 existence.
04:22 The sky, which once released a cleansing rain, seemed to weep alongside me when I received
04:29 news of the massacre in Jabalia camp.
04:33 This stole the lives of more than 20 of my extended family members.
04:37 Bitterness gnaws at my soul as I long for the simplicity of safe shelter, warmth, a
04:44 cup of coffee, and what I once thought of as a routine melody of life.
04:49 Once vibrant markets now stand desolate and children suffer from malnutrition.
04:56 However, we cling to hope, fragile as a gossamer thread.
05:01 We whisper a prayer to return home, hoping our houses are not entirely destroyed.
05:06 The frustration is palpable as a spectre of 48 haunts us.
05:11 Now we are told there is a four-day pause.
05:15 The kids are happy because they have been cooped up for weeks.
05:19 But the adults?
05:20 We are afraid that Struce will give Israel time to assemble more soldiers and bring in
05:25 more equipment, so they can resume with renewed vigor.
05:30 Taya Abu Nasir lives in Dersnedh, near Gaza.
05:34 The story written by her was published on the website We Are Not Numbers.
05:38 For this and more, read the Year-Ender issue of Outlook.