Maybe it’s time to actually wake up, and see Palestine

Editor’s Note: We are bringing this article back to the forefront because its themes are as pressing today as they were when it was first written. The facts may have evolved, but the heart of the issue has not.

Winter serves as a deadly weapon which brings continuous destruction to the people of Gaza. The death toll among children extends beyond just bomb explosions. Collapsing ruins take the lives of many, all the while exposure to cold and the lack of proper shelter makes living unbearable. Four months after a pause in hostilities, the land remains shattered, its people trapped inside the ruins of more than two years of bombardment, blocked aid, and the absence of tools to rebuild anything resembling a life.

I’m sure we have all seen dozens of articles, headlines and reports screaming and telling us about Palestine. All the lost lives and the bloodshed, but maybe it’s time to actually wake up, and see Palestine. We perceive countries like Palestine with a thick cloud of sadness. We empathize with them, but in reality, these people are the souls of humanity, the people who rise and survive impossible situations, ones that survive not only in the loss of their people, but the loss of hope and strength.

The United Nations reported this week that at least 100 children have died since the October 10th ceasefire began. The world remains unaware of these deaths because they do not generate emergency alarms or receive media coverage. These deaths seep in from the dark where the rain is sharp enough to bite through bone and a child’s body no longer holds its heat. As of recently at least seven children and 24 adults have already died this winter simply because they had no shelter from the cold. Not only have these people been stripped of their light, but they have lost their homes.

Shurouq who works as Multimedia Manager at Save the Children in Gaza explains that people lose their ability to survive in an environment which continues to decline. She explained that daily existence becomes more difficult because of the worsening situation in Gaza. The majority of families have lost their original home, which they used to call their own. The buildings, which used to host birthday celebrations and peaceful nights with loved ones now have turned into broken ruins. The area now contains basic shelters, which do little to nothing to protect them from cold weather and strong winds.

On the other hand, children are still surviving in summer clothes. As the temperature drops people struggle to find enough warm clothing during winter due to how expensive and scarce winter clothing has become. The rainwater flooding causes mattresses to become wet while sunlight fails to speed up their drying process which usually requires multiple days. In the meantime, children sleep damp, shivering and cold as their little bodies press against each other hoping to find any source of warmth.

Despite all of this, humanitarian workers keep their operations running throughout the challenging conditions. Save the Children operates with 300 Palestinian staff and trusted partners across the occupied Palestinian territory. The organization operates child friendly spaces throughout Gaza, which provide children with safe areas to breathe freely while they play and regain their sense of humanity. The organization offers short-term education, mental health and psychosocial care, and child safety protection to people who carry invisible wounds. Aid delivery has stopped for several months so organizations now search for local sources to find needed supplies. Newborn baby kits, hygiene kits, and medical supplies are still being delivered, quietly, persistently.

Although there is little hope left in Palestine, hope alone is not enough. It cannot stop the cold or rebuild what has been destroyed. What remains is strength, the will to endure when the world looks away.

This is not resilience, not anymore. This is a strong survival that’s slowly being carved from grief. Gaza’s children are having to live through winters so harsh, ones that their fragile bodies should not have to deal with. Their suffering demands action, real action.