With the beginning of a new year, the wish of the people of Gaza: Help us achieve peace and reconstruction

With the rain falling and temperatures dropping, life becomes more difficult inside the camps for the displaced in the center and north of Gaza City. Tents crowded together, surrounded by destroyed buildings, and muddy ground that impedes daily movement. People are trying to adapt to conditions that do not provide the minimum amount of protection or stability, while the displaced move in narrow corridors between tents, searching for some warmth or privacy.

Umm Rabie, one of the many who lost so much during the war in Gaza, expresses hope that goes beyond her personal suffering. She says to our correspondent in Gaza: “Help us to rebuild the Gaza Strip, achieve peace, and have a state in which we can live in peace and security.”

Not far away, children stand in front of their tent in the overcrowded camp, which lacks the necessary support for them. Mrs. Wafa Al Khawaja expresses concern about the current reality and what children have already lost, and says: “I wish we could live like the rest of the world. But we don’t have anything, and our children don’t have education or any of the essentials necessary for them.”

In another camp in northern Gaza, Kamal Abu Hashish stands in front of his tent, recalling a previous life that suddenly stopped. His only wish is to return to what it was like before the war, in light of the difficult humanitarian reality experienced by thousands of families inside the camps. He says: “I hope that we will return to what we were before the war and that we will be in a better situation, God willing.”

Makramah Ahmed talks about what she lost during the war, but she tries to cling to hope so that life can continue: “We hope that God will compensate us for our house that was completely demolished. We lost our children and others were injured, and thank God for everything.”

Between the tents, a little girl wearing a red Santa Claus outfit appears, running in the narrow corridors between the tents. Nearby, the elderly woman, Nimah Al-Khawaja, sits carrying her granddaughter in front of their tent, making a simple wish as the year 2026 enters. “I hope I get the treatment and surgery I need and we see better days.”

Mr. Akram, who lives in a nearby tent, expresses his aspiration for a tangible change on the ground in Gaza that will end the suffering: “I hope that 2026 will be better than 2025, and that wars and suffering will end.”

As the movement of displaced people continues inside the camps, the streets of Gaza City remain witness to an extremely harsh humanitarian reality, and to hopes that are still pending for the beginning of a new year. For these people, aspirations do not exceed the limits of living safely and regaining a sense of stability, after long months of displacement and uncertainty.