Writing Through the Ruins

Amid destruction and silence in Gaza, young voices turn to journalism to bear witness and preserve truth. What began as survival becomes a duty to speak for those who no longer can.

Photograph: Jaber Jehad Badwan

By Ohood Nassar

In times of war, truth itself becomes a target, just like people. Accessing accurate information turns into a dangerous task. In Gaza, where massacres and violations occur daily, Palestinian journalists are no longer able to document everything—not due to a lack of will, but because of the sheer scale of the catastrophe, the collapse of infrastructure, ongoing bombardment, and constant power and communication outages. Yet, new voices continue to emerge from within the suffering, carrying the responsibility of telling the story, no matter the cost.

During this war, numerous massacres have been committed against the people of Gaza, making documentation nearly impossible. Palestinian journalists in Gaza face a reality that exceeds their individual capacity to report, as painful stories accumulate and scenes of loss, displacement, and destruction repeat themselves, all while they lack even the most basic professional tools.

In this context, I began my journey in journalism in 2024, while I was still a university student. I had never imagined that I would enter this field. My dream was to become a teacher, to focus on my studies, and to graduate with distinction. But the war changed everything. My priorities shifted, and journalism and writing became central to my life—indeed, the most important part of it—because I felt a responsibility to convey what we are living through to the world.

Bearing Witness

I started writing journalistic articles and publishing them on several media platforms, drawing on my personal experience and the experiences of those around me. Writing was no longer just a form of expression; it became a tool for documentation and a living testimony of what is happening. Over time, I realised that this testimony might be the only voice for those who have lost the ability to speak.

At the beginning of my work, I focused on writing personal stories. I documented the killing of my close friend Mariam, who was killed while displaced in a UNRWA school in northern Gaza. That moment was one of the most difficult experiences I have ever gone through, but it also marked a turning point that pushed me to continue on this path. I also wrote about my own experience of displacement, the bombing of our home, the daily suffering under war conditions, and the challenges I faced in continuing my university education.

My writing did not remain limited to personal experiences; it expanded to include journalistic reports on the bombing of schools and the destruction of the education sector, which has been one of the hardest-hit sectors. Schools that once served as places of learning have been turned into shelters—or targets—directly affecting the future of thousands of students.

But this is not my story alone. Many young men and women have been driven into journalism by the war, even though they had never planned for it. Among them is Ghidaa Al-Abadsala, a 24-year-old from Khan Younis, who worked in translation before the war. She began her journalism work at the end of 2023, during the genocide in Gaza, after her family home was bombed while around 40 people were inside. This traumatic experience became a turning point in her life.

Turning Point

Ghidaa chose to focus her journalism on the issue of prisoners, a topic she believes requires greater attention and documentation. She says, “My interest in prisoners began because I worked with people from the West Bank who were arrested, and I wanted to document their suffering.” Based on this motivation, she wrote her first report about the released prisoner Murshid Al-Shawamreh, who had been arrested in March 2023. She met him after his release and documented his experience inside Israeli prisons.

She also wrote about the released prisoner Rula Hassanein, who was arrested in October 2023. After her release, Ghidaa interviewed her online and documented her suffering. As she continued working in this field, she also began documenting the experiences of her friends who had been detained, which deepened her commitment to this issue.

Later, as her journalism work expanded, organisations concerned with prisoners’ affairs in the West Bank reached out to her, giving her the opportunity to work with the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, where she became more actively involved in shedding light on this humanitarian issue.

As for me, through publishing with international platforms and writing in both Arabic and English, I have come to believe that journalism is not just a profession or a skill—it is a national duty. I believe that everyone living through this experience should document it, not only for themselves but also for those who cannot write or share their stories.

Needed Voices

In Gaza, many people carry painful stories but lack the tools or ability to express them. This is where those who can write must step in—to become their voice and bring their suffering to the world. In this context, journalism becomes an act of human solidarity before it is a professional practice.

Despite the daily hardships—constant power outages, weak or nonexistent internet, and the difficulty of movement—I continue to do everything I can. I make every effort to reach those who have suffered during the war, to listen to their stories, and to document them with honesty. Every story written is a part of the truth, and every testimony shared has the potential to make a difference.

In Gaza today, journalism is no longer a personal choice—it is a collective responsibility. It is a means of preserving memory, a tool to confront attempts to erase the truth, and a platform for those who have no voice. As the war continues, journalists—despite their limited resources—persist in documenting what is happening, driven by the belief that the truth, no matter how delayed, will eventually be heard. In this reality, writing becomes an act of survival, a form of resistance, and a message to the world that what is happening here cannot be ignored.

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Ohood Nassar is a journalist and teacher from Gaza. She has written for We Are Not Numbers, New Arab, Al Jazeera, Institute for Palestine Studies, Electronic Intifada, and Prism.