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Amidst the ruins, flowers bloom: the resilience of Gaza’s women
Despite facing destruction, humiliation, and the loss of loved ones, Palestinian mothers and daughters demonstrate extraordinary courage as they struggle to create normalcy from the ruins of their former lives, writes NISREEN MORQUS

A FEW days ago, I came across a photo published online, taken by a Gazan citizen. The image captured blooming buds and flowers sprouting from the rubble of homes that had been destroyed by Israeli bombs and missiles in the Gaza Strip.

It was a picture laden with deep meaning — perhaps these flowers had taken root in the blood of the martyrs, the children and women who had fallen victim to this brutal war that left nothing untouched in Gaza, Jabalia, and the rest of the Strip’s cities.
 
These blooming buds compelled me to write about the hope that the women and girls of Gaza continue to embody — hope that has emerged and continues to rise from beneath the rubble and destruction.

These women, the daughters of my people, have borne and continue to bear immense suffering and the pain of loss. They have lost their children, partners, and siblings. Their homes have been destroyed, their loved ones have disappeared, and they have endured fear and starvation in tents under the harshest conditions. Yet, they have not ceased to fight for life.
 
We see them in news broadcasts and on social media platforms, returning to what was once their home, to their loved ones and neighbours, determined to rebuild, even as they remain uncertain of what awaits them.

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