The Girls of the Rubble

Four girls from Gaza cling to life and dreams amid the ruins, longing for peace, home, and childhood again.
Untold Palestine
March 31, 2024
Gaza, Palestine
Story by:
haneen salem

Lama, Sara, Nidaa, and Malak are four young girls who cherish life with their innocent hearts. Before the war, they were neighbors in the same residential neighborhood.

The Israeli occupation destroyed their residential block, forcing them to live in a nearby school after their homes were demolished.

During Ramadan, they spend their time among the debris of these houses. They sit together to read the Quran and play with their toys.

Lama says, “I love playing with my friends and forgetting about the war because we are exhausted. Our wish is to live like children around the world, in peace and security.”

Sara recalls, “I had bought a dress for Eid before the war because I love dresses so much. Unfortunately, the dresses are now buried under the debris, and we won’t enjoy Eid either.”

Nidaa says : “I really want to go back to those days, play with my mom’s makeup, and draw the things I like. The war is so ugly.”

Malak says: “I want my dad to be alive, I want our teachers to teach us at school again. I miss my room, my hairdo, and my comb. Why have they deprived us of everything?”