The Eyes of Gaza

 By: Plestia Alaqad

Location: NF 920 ALA

Genre: MEMOIR   Read it GAZA

"It would seem that the eyes and ears of the world aren’t interested in Palestinian life, only in Palestinian death."

In early October 2023, Palestinian Plestia Alaqad was a recent graduate with dreams of becoming a successful journalist. By the end of November, her social media posts depicting daily life in Gaza, amid Israel's deadly invasion and bombardment, would profoundly move millions of people. She would be internationally known as the "Eyes of Gaza."

Written as a series of diary extracts, The Eyes of Gaza relates the horrors of her experiences while showcasing the indomitable spirit of the men, women and children who share her communities. From the epicentre of turmoil, while bombs rain around her and devastation grips her people, she is witness to their emotions, their gentle acts of quiet, necessary heroism, and the moments of unexpected tenderness and vulnerability amid the chaos.

Through the raw honesty and vulnerability of a normal 21-year-old woman trying to make her way through a human tragedy, The Eyes of Gaza is a potent reminder of the horrors of violence and a powerful testament to the human spirit. It recounts a harrowing experience, but it is not a heart-breaking lamentation. Rather, it is a deeply intimate love letter to a girl's demolished before her eyes, yes, but forever present in her heart.

Review by Layan

There’s something about reading The Eyes of Gaza that hit different. It’s not just tragedy on paper. It’s breath. It’s memory. It’s resistance. It’s tea in the morning with my teta and sedo — those few times a year I got to see them. We’d sit together, talk about life, and somehow, Gaza always came up. My teta had visited Gaza numerous of times when she was younger. She told me if she weren’t from El Khalil, she would’ve chosen Gaza. She said it with such love in her eyes, as if Gaza wasn’t just a place, but a person — someone sacred.