Gaza Herald — Amid the ruins and grief of Gaza’s war, love has become both a burden and a form of resistance. Israel’s relentless assault on the Strip has left at least 17,000 children orphaned, according to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics. For one elderly couple, that devastation now fills their home with the voices of 36 orphaned grandchildren, a living testament to both loss and endurance.
“These children need care. They need food, water, and special attention,” says grandmother Rida Aliwa, her hands trembling but steady with purpose. “I wake up at 3 a.m. every day to bathe and feed them. I do all this despite my old age.”
Her husband, Hamed Aliwa, speaks with quiet exhaustion. Protecting three dozen children while living under siege has become a daily test of faith and survival. “We live under the constant sound of drones that keep us awake all night, and we are scared that the war could start again,” he says, glancing at the sky as if waiting for the next strike.
The couple’s story mirrors that of thousands across Gaza , families fractured by bombardment, yet somehow reassembling themselves through sheer will. Every meal, every lullaby, every improvised act of care defies a war designed to erase generations.
As Gaza struggles to rebuild amid shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, the Aliwas’ resilience stands as a quiet protest , a reminder that even in devastation, Palestinians continue to create life where others bring death
