Gaza Herald — Professor Ghanem Al-Attar, an international constitutional law scholar, has become a symbol of steadfastness after a video of him running desperately in search of water for his surviving children and grandchildren went viral.
From a small tent in a displacement camp in southern Gaza, Al-Attar declared: “Even if we all die, we will not leave this place. No matter the circumstances, despite the killings, the siege, and the hunger, we remain steadfast, patient, and our spirit is stronger than anything. We leave our fate to God Almighty.”
The Resolve of Lions
Al-Attar, who lost his daughter and grandchildren in recent months, says the suffering he endures today surpasses all the pain of his past. His displacement from home was only the beginning; the tragedy deepened with news of his family’s deaths in May, and now the onset of Israel’s “starvation war” has left him and countless others fighting for survival without food or water.
He describes the camps as “life on the edge of extinction,” where families chase a sip of water or a piece of bread while victims increase by the day. Israel’s targeting of the water pipeline from Egypt, as well as Gaza’s desalination plants and wells, has brought the displaced to the brink. Children and the elderly, he warns, are the most vulnerable to death from hunger and thirst in the absence of any genuine humanitarian corridors.
Searching for Water
A video of Al-Attar combing the ruins for water has captured worldwide attention, symbolizing the devastating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Despite his grief, the professor insists on staying in his homeland: “The people of Gaza will not leave their land, no matter how dire the circumstances.”
In an appeal to the international community, he urged urgent intervention to stop the famine, warning that global silence only legitimizes Israel’s policy of starvation and turns Gaza’s children and elderly into victims of a slow-motion crime.
Forced Displacement and Famine
UNRWA reported on Sunday that 1.9 million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in Gaza, noting that for two years it has called in vain for a ceasefire. The agency highlighted the immense costs of survival: $1,000 for transportation out of Gaza City, $2,000 for a family tent, and $180 to rent a plot of land for shelter, all amid severe fuel shortages and an Israeli ban on shelter supplies for nearly seven months.
The Ongoing Genocide
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, backed by the United States and Western powers, has waged a genocidal war on Gaza. More than 231,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded, the vast majority women and children. Hundreds of thousands remain displaced, and famine has already claimed the lives of at least 432 Palestinians, including 146 children.
