Ara my darling,
It has been a long and exhausting day. I have returned to my place—choosing, quite intentionally, not to stay in a hotel. Despite the absence of basic amenities, I find a strange and quiet sense of peace here. There is no electricity, no running water, and yet I have managed to generate limited power using solar energy. I collect water from a nearby source. My meals are simple—just one a day—and for now, that suffices. I remain hydrated with five to nine bottles of water daily. Please, do not worry about me.
Lately, I have been struggling with a sleeping disorder. Tonight, I’m making an effort to sleep earlier, hoping it will grant my body the rest it needs. How are you, dearest? How does the house feel in my absence? How are our children? I miss them terribly. What are you doing now? Writing in your diary? Finishing some work? Or perhaps reading the Nordic novel I bought for you a few months ago? Share your thoughts with me when I’m finally home, will you? Have you eaten today? Please—don’t skip your meals.
A 12-kilogram sack of flour in Gaza can cost up to $200—and in northern Gaza, prices have soared to $500 due to near-total isolation. When humanitarian aid does arrive, it often comes under degrading and dehumanizing conditions. People are confined behind iron barricades, packed shoulder to shoulder like sardines in a tin. Even the most basic meals are economically inaccessible. This is no longer a matter of economics—it is an atrocity. And with each passing day, the cost of survival grows heavier.
Life in Gaza is not sustained by miracles—it is upheld by tawakkul, a complete and unwavering reliance upon Allah. Every moment carries the latent threat of catastrophe. One may be struck by an airstrike without warning or targeted by sniper fire at random—including children. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 15,613 children had been killed as of March 2025. UNICEF reports that over 50,000 children have been killed or injured. Children now account for 31% of all Palestinian fatalities in the conflict.
In light of these truths, may we never again take our daily comforts for granted. The Prophet Muhammad said “Whoever among you wakes up in the morning, secure in his home, healthy in his body, and has his food for the day—it is as if he were given the entire world” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2346). This is a timeless reminder that the safety, stability, and sustenance we enjoy are neither trivial nor guaranteed. May we remain ever grateful and humbly mindful of these blessings.
I end this letter with a poem by Mahmoud Darwish:
“The war will end. The leaders will shake hands.
The old woman will keep waiting for her martyred son.
That girl will wait for her beloved husband.
And those children will wait for their heroic father.
I don't know who sold our homeland.
But I saw who paid the price”
Good night, love. I miss you dearly.
With love, and only love—always,
Abang
29.05.2025
_
GAZA DATA (May 2025)
CHILD DEATHS:
Total killed: ≥16,506
- Infants (<1): 916
- Ages 1-5: 4,365
- Ages 6-12: 6,101
- Teens (13-17): 5,124
- Starvation deaths (since Mar 2025): 57+
- Killed/injured total: 50,000+
- % of all fatalities: 31%
PRICES:
- Flour (12kg): Was $15 → Now $200-500 (5,000%↑)
- Rice (1kg): Was $3 → Now $10 (233%↑)
- Cooking gas (12kg): Was $4 → Now $100 (2,400%↑)
CAUSES:
1. TOTAL AID BLOCKADE (since Mar 2, 2025):
- 0 commercial trucks allowed; only 10% of needed aid enters.
2. INFRASTRUCTURE DESTROYED:
- 95% bakeries bombed; all wheat mills disabled.
3. FUEL BLOCKADE:
- Cooking gas: $100 (was $4) → Bakeries can't operate.
4. BLACK MARKETS:
- Armed groups extort $500–$1,000 per aid truck → costs passed to starving families.
5. STAGED STARVATION:
- Israel restricts calories to 245/person/day (UN-confirmed).
HUMAN IMPACT:
- 57+ children starved to death (Mar–May 2025).
- 71,000+ children under 5 acutely malnourished.
- Families eat grass/animal feed.
FAMINE IMPACT:
- 500,000+ in famine (IPC Phase 5)
- 71,000+ children under 5 malnourished
- 14,000 infants near starvation
- 1.9 million displaced (85% population)