Life in Gaza marked by loss and restricted resources

At least twenty-one people died recently when a building collapsed in Gaza City, a sign of the ongoing dangerous conditions in the region. Jaser AbuMousa, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who was born and raised in Gaza, described how Israel controls seventy percent of the Gaza Strip, confining two million people to the remaining thirty percent.

Following a ceasefire last October, many Gazans hoped to rebuild their lives, but reconstruction has been hampered by restrictions on materials and equipment. While some civic life has resumed, restaurants have reopened and weddings are taking place, essential resources remain scarce, even basic items like peanut butter are blocked from entering the territory. Approximately eighty-one percent of Gaza’s infrastructure is damaged or destroyed, and over three hundred thousand homes have been leveled, along with schools and hospitals.

AbuMousa noted a disturbing rise in internal violence, citing an incident where three people were killed while waiting in line for water. He attributes this to the immense trauma experienced by Gazans, describing a society that has developed “lethal survival skills” after years of conflict and hardship. AbuMousa also shared his personal tragedy, the loss of his wife, two children, mother, and sister during the recent conflict.

Despite his grief, he continues to write and advocate for solutions, working with organizations like the Middle East Institute and A Land for All, hoping to promote lasting peace and provide a sense of normalcy for his surviving children. He and an American colleague are translating his late wife’s poetry into English.